There was no surprise, but there was no emotion either. Daegu FC, a professional soccer team, won a sweat against the ‘weak’ Cheonan City FC.
Daegu defeated Cheonan 2-1 after a game that lasted until overtime in the third round of the 2023 Hana One Q Korea Football Association (FA) Cup held at DGB Daegu Bank Park on the 12th.
On this day, the two teams met for the first time in history, but the expectation that Daegu would win easily was dominant. Unlike Daegu, which ranks 8th in the K-League 1 and is in the mid-table, Cheonan is a team that is at the bottom of the K-League 2 after losing all 6 matches.
Although the difference in objective power was clear, Daegu made every effort by putting in its core power, excluding goalkeeper Choi Young-eun, striker Kim Yeong-jun, and midfielder Park Se-jin, who started as a starter that day.
Daegu took the initiative from the beginning and launched an offensive. In particular, Basellus, a side striker who boasts a vigorous activity, shook Cheonan by going back and forth between left and center. There were frequent scenes of creating an attacking opportunity after winning the ball in a high area.
In the 22nd minute, after receiving a long pass from Hwang Jae-won, Baselus drove the ball to the penalty box and stabbed a sharp pass into the gate. Park Se-jin, who was rushing in, connected with a shot, but missed the goal.
Daegu continued to knock on the goal, but Cheonan’s ‘two-line defense’ was not easily pierced. In Cheonan’s defense, all players except tall striker Motta joined the defensive line. Occasionally, I aimed for a ‘one shot’ using the height of the chamfer, but the finish was not sophisticated.
Daegu’s first goal was scored. The solution was Lee Geun-ho, a veteran striker from Daegu.
In the 37th minute, Lee Geun-ho connected Keita’s sharp cross with a left-footed shot and split Cheonan into the net. Lee Geun-ho, whose birthday was the day before, fired a self-congratulatory shot with a precious opening goal.
In the second half, the game flowed in a hit-and-run fashion. Daegu seemed to have lost momentum in the beginning. In the 52nd minute, Hwang Jae-won beat two Cheonan defenders with a brilliant dribble and even took a shot, but there was nothing impressive.
Daegu put in the lead strikers Edgar and Ko Jae-hyeon to further widen the lead by one point, but additional goals were seldom scored.
Daegu, which lacked the ability to score goals, was eventually defeated by Cheonan. 스포츠토토
Cheonan balanced the game in the 82nd minute by chamfering the penalty kick awarded by Han Suk-hee and finishing it calmly with a left-footed shot.
With the game going into overtime, Cheonan played a more defensive operation. It seemed that he was aiming to lead the match to the penalty shootout.
On the other hand, Daegu’s concentration decreased significantly over time. He wasted a chance to score with pointless long passes and crosses. Even in the set-piece attack, which could be said to be an advantage, he was helpless.
In the second half of extra time, Daegu made a run for it as Basellus succeeded in a penalty kick. In the preceding situation, Ko Jae-hyun contributed to the winning goal by inducing a foul by Cheonan Lee Min-soo in a dangerous area with a fighting spirit.