From Triumph to Tragedy: The Two Faces of Yongin Mireu

What a difference a week makes! From 35,000 at Iraq to a man and his dog at Johor, Yongin Mireu highlighted it's versatility but also the two sides of her pretty face.

There's a moment when the elevated Everline swings around the south corner of Yongin Mireu Stadium roughly half way between Chodang and Samga stations, with a view of the interior. There, the stadium is uncovered and features only a small stand of a dozen rows. The vista inside the stadium is magnificent, especially on a match day. When my train made that turn, it was 19:40, twenty minutes before the start of Korea versus Iraq.

My fellow passengers gasped at the beauty of Mireu out the right side windows. By now, most of the seats inside the stadium were occupied by fans in red shirts and flashing devil horns. The floodlights only added to the sense of occasion. Outside, the lines to enter were long but lit up by the flickering red horns. It was too late to whip out my phone and take a picture. It probably wouldn't have looked good anyway.

At Samga Station, the vast majority of passengers alighted and then began a desperate scramble up Jungbu-daero to make kick-off. Traders had set up stalls immediately outside the station, selling merchandise that mostly featured Son Heung-min. Closer to the ground, stalls were erected selling chicken, skewers, sundae, and dried octopus. It was match day! A World Cup qualifier between the two strongest teams in the group, and the excitement was palpable.

A crowd of over 35,000 paid through the gates. Inside and out, the stadium looked magnificent, a worthy setting for a match of this magnitude (apart from the blue running track). The atmosphere was different compared to Sangam; for starters, manager Hong Myeong-bo was rarely booed when his face appeared on screen (admittedly, this wasn't very often).

And the punters were treated to five goals (some spectacular), a few noteworthy performances on both sides, and a couple of inspired substitutions. And when the final whistle blew, Korea had stretched their lead at the top of Group B having disposed of their biggest challengers. 

Fast forward seven days, the floodlights were back on at Mireu, and the ponchos were out, but not for a Suwon Bluewings game or an international. This time, it was the setting for an Asian Champions League Elite meeting between Gwangju FC and Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim. There's a neighboring city to the north-east of Yongin called Gwangju. But that's not where this club is from.

Instead, they are located in the bigger Gwangju, in South Jeolla Province. The distance from their regular home ground to Yongin Mireu is a startling 267 km. They were forced to move from their Lego box home stadium to the World Cup Stadium next door for the Yokohama F. Marinos game because their home ground is brutal. But the World Cup pitch, like most places in Korea, is dire.

So they packed their wagon and headed north to a city near Suwon and a stadium in the backend of nowhere. Manager Lee Jung-hyo admitted the team traveled four hours by bus the day before but both he and Jasir Asani, the man of the match, remarked on how perfect the playing surface was. The rain that day was relentless. It absolutely chucked down for the full 90 minutes, and yet the grass held firm. There weren't even any puddles.

It is easy to see why Yongin Mireu has become Korean football's plaster. Korea Republic, Suwon Samsung, and Gwangju FC have all used the stadium as a temporary home ground within the space of three weeks. Suwon's stay is longer but Gwangju might be back next month. The ground staff and stadium management deserve enormous credit for being able to host matches of this stature whilst those around the country fail on so many levels.

The official attendance of 2,100 was far greater than I had expected, even before the rain fell. But Mireu looks just as impressive without a crowd as it does with it. The blue upper seats and running track clashing with the grey lower seats and impressive roof are extremely striking. In a weird way, the track is both a nuisance and a point of beauty.

Of course, there is no fault laid at the feet at the non-traveling Gwangju fans. For a midweek game, nearly 300 km from home, this was always a tall order. Gwangju FC are a small market team, facing possibility Korean sports' biggest David vs. Goliath battle for local supremacy. They reside in a city which features the country's most successful baseball club, and three of the best baseball High Schools in Asia.

The inclement weather would have turned off local football fans - neutrals - not to mention the unfortunate fact that Johor are not a big name. Just like Gwangju. Had this game featured, say, Ulsan HD and Yokohama, it is entirely reasonable to suggest the attendance would have been at least double what we witnessed. 

Fortunately, the match contained the tournament's outstanding player after three rounds in Asani. The Albanian scored two and assisted the third as Gwangju rode their luck to defeat their Malaysian opponents 3-1. This was ACL Elite football; what was elite was Asani and the stadium.

Perhaps now Mireu will earn the respect it deserves. Get out to a game before the Bluewings move away. When that happens, the seats will get covered in dust and pigeon poo again.