Gwangju FC head coach Lee Jung-hyo was a difficult man to judge based on appearances.
Gwangju was having a difficult summer. Until they beat Jeonbuk Hyundai at home on June 24, it seemed as if Gwangju’s surge would last all summer. But Gwangju began to falter after a 0-4 thrashing at Jeonbuk four days later.
The 0-1 loss to first-place Ulsan Hyundai was disappointing, but they continued to struggle against Gangwon FC, Jeju United, and Daegu FC, earning only draws. When analyzing the results, it’s hard to point to just one thing, but one of the biggest reasons was indoor training.
The Gwangju Football Center, where Gwangju trains, becomes unplayable when it rains heavily. The rainy season started in early July and Gwangju was unable to train properly. The team had to switch to indoor training, but the players’ physical condition was a concern.
Just like the dark skies of the rainy season, Gwangju’s July began to darken. Three draws and one loss in four league games proved fatal to the club’s hopes of qualifying for Group A of the final round. At a time when they should have been on the run, Gwangju began to slide down the table and found themselves in the hands of mid-table Daegu and Incheon United.
This made the match against Suwon FC even more important for Gwangju. “Every game is important, but I think this game will be more important,” Lee Jung-hyo said before the match, urging his players to bounce back.
At the same time, he said, “Honestly, I’m very worried. We trained indoors. We’ve only done a little bit on the field. There is a big difference between field and indoor training. The players tried their best in the absence of the field.” He was very concerned about the lack of training.
Once the game started, Gwangju pushed Suwon FC all over the field. It rained heavily just before the game, making the grass wet, but it didn’t matter much to the Gwangju players. Head coach Lee Jung-hyo began to direct his players as usual by yelling at them.
Gwangju took the lead just before the end of the first half thanks to a stunning goal from Doo Hyun-seok, and they started to consolidate in the second half. However, this was not the way Lee wanted to play the game, and he became even more angry with his players than usual.
From the outside, it looked like he was very unhappy with his players, but after the game, he was honest about his feelings. Sitting in the press conference, Lee was unable to speak for a while. After taking a sip of water from a club official, he began to open his mouth, 먹튀검증 and his emotions began to show.
“I think it’s a victory for the players. No matter what, they overcame, they didn’t give up, they gave everything. I’m proud of them, I’m proud of them. No matter what I say, no matter what words I use, when I see them on the field, not lying, not giving their best, I’m moved to tears, even though I’m off the field, playing with them. The number of Gwangju fans has also increased. I want to thank them for coming all the way to support us, even though we were away from home,” he cried.
Coach Lee Jung-hyo was overwhelmed with emotion as the players, who were struggling under difficult circumstances, reciprocated with their best efforts on the field.