*This content was translated by AI.
The foreign goalkeeper, who stood on the ground goal for the first time in 27 years since the legendary K-League goalkeeper Shin Eui-son (Sarichev), made a rather disappointing debut. Novo (Yongin FC, Portugal), who was registered as the No. 1 foreign goalkeeper in the K-League after the restriction on the recruitment of foreign goalkeepers was abolished, had high expectations, but exposed his unstable performance in the first game.
The new team Yongin drew 2-2 against Cheonan City in the first round of Hana Bank's K League 2026 at Yongin Mir Stadium on the afternoon of the 1st.
In the historic first game since its foundation, it earned one point, but the goalkeeper remained a big task. Novo's debut performance, boasting an overwhelming 192cm physical condition and European stage experience, was somewhat unstable.
The most regrettable scene was the situation in which the first goal was allowed in the 27th minute of the first half. In the process of giving up the first goal to Cheonan Lee Dong-hyeop, Novo made a fatal catching mistake and provided an excuse for the loss. It was not like a veteran with experience in various leagues such as Romania and Saudi Arabia, as well as Portugal's first and second divisions.
Later, when Gabriel scored the equalizer with a penalty kick in the 35th minute, Novo ran up quickly as if he was sorry for the previous mistake and shared his joy with his teammates.
However, Novo bowed again in the fourth minute of the second half, allowing Cheonan Ramas an additional run. Ramas stabbed into the right corner of the goal with a sharp left-footed free kick and Novo reached out, but he couldn't stop it. Although the trajectory was sharp, it was a shot that could have been sufficiently blocked considering Novo's physical conditions.
Yongin, which was being dragged to 1-2, collected one valuable point in the club's first K-League game with Gabriel's second penalty score nine minutes before the end of regular time.
Earlier, the Korea Professional Football Federation abruptly abolished the restriction on the recruitment of foreign goalkeepers, which had been maintained since 1999, ahead of the 2026 season. In response, Yongin responded the fastest to the changed system and recruited Novo as the first foreign player of its foundation.
At the time of recruitment, the club expressed high expectations, evaluating that Novo had sophisticated kick and build-up skills as a former midfielder, and excellent stable catching and defense coordination skills.
At the time of joining the team, Novo also said, "I want to show responsibility as I entered for the first time since the abolition of restrictions on foreign goalkeepers," adding, "As communication with defenders is an advantage, I will firmly protect Yongin's goal with my teammates."
However, in his actual debut, he left a question mark in terms of stability, showing that it takes time to recreate the overwhelming force shown by God's hand. He showed some potential by showing the exact kick power that the club picked as an advantage several times.
Meanwhile, veteran goalkeeper Hwang Sung-min was sitting on the bench in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Hwang Sung-min is a veteran who has allowed 214 runs and 28 clean sheets in 143 games in the K League. In particular, he has played 136 games in the K League 2 alone and is an experienced resource in charge of seven games in the K League 1.
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*This content was translated by AI.
