'A 346-minute scoreless drought finally broken': Lee Jeong-hyo's Suwon Samsung secures victory in just three matches with Park Ji-won's golden goal... Gyeongnam subdued 1-0 [Changwon On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

The agonizing goal drought was finally lifted after a staggering 346 minutes. Suwon Samsung, bolstered by a winning goal from substitute Park Ji-won, snapped their consecutive scoreless streak and secured a crucial three points.

On the 18th at 2 p.m., Suwon defeated Gyeongnam FC 1-0 in an away match in Round 8 of the Hana Bank K League 2 2026 at Changwon Football Center.

After scoring in the 3rd minute of the first half against Yongin FC on the 28th of last month, Suwon remained silent in a 0-0 draw against Cheongju FC and a 0-1 loss to Gimpo FC. On this day, they escaped a 346-minute goalless slump, finally breaking through with a goal in the 34th minute of the second half and turning the tide.

With this result, Suwon maintained sole second place with 19 points from eight matches (six wins, one draw, one loss). Gyeongnam remained in 14th place with five points from seven matches (one win, two draws, four losses).

The home team Gyeongnam deployed a 3-5-2 formation. Chi Gi and Kim Hyun-oh led the attack, supported by a midfield of Bae Hyun-seo, Kim Jeong-hyun, Kwon Ki-pyo, Kim Ha-min, and Son Ho-jun. The back three consisted of Choi Jeong-won, Lee Gyu-baek, and Kim Hyung-won, with Lee Beom-su in goal.

Suwon countered with a 4-4-2 formation. Kim Ji-hyun and Hayes started as the striking duo, while Kim Do-yeon, Park Hyun-bin, Jung Ho-yeon, and Bruno Silva formed the midfield. Kim Min-woo, Ko Jong-hyun, Hong Jeong-ho, and Lee Jun-jae formed the back four, with Kim Jun-hong guarding the goal.

Suwon seized early momentum in the first half. In the 8th minute, Hong Jeong-ho headed toward the Gyeongnam goal from a corner kick. By the 30th minute, Suwon dismantled Gyeongnam's defense with fluid passing play from the left flank. Bruno Silva connected with Kim Ji-hyun's cross with a shot, but the ball narrowly missed the goal.

Gyeongnam blocked Suwon's attacks with a compact defense, positioning five players deep. In attack, they exploited Suwon's defensive space using the quick Chi Gi and Kim Hyun-oh. They attempted bold direct passes and crosses in transition situations. Notably, they frequently cut off Suwon's counter-attacks with decisive fouls, managing the game efficiently. During this process, Gyeongnam's Kim Ha-min received a caution in the 44th minute of the first half, and in stoppage time, Suwon's Park Hyun-bin was shown a yellow card during an aerial duel.

Immediately after the second half began, Suwon created a decisive chance. In the 2nd minute, Kim Do-yeon's left-footed shot from inside the box struck the crossbar, leaving them with regret.

The match then escalated into a tense physical battle. In the 6th minute of the second half, Kim Hyun-oh and Hong Jeong-ho collided during a corner kick situation, prompting goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong to rush out to intervene. The referee issued yellow cards to both players, and Kim Hyun-oh's jersey was torn in the process.

Substitutions from both teams determined the outcome. Gyeongnam brought on Jo Sang-jun for Chi Gi in the 13th minute of the second half, while Suwon made a decisive move by simultaneously introducing Iluchenko, Park Ji-won, and Ko Seung-beom in the 18th minute. Gyeongnam further strengthened their attack in the 26th minute by bringing on Danylay, who had returned from injury.

In the 28th minute of the second half, Danylay's header was saved by Kim Jun-hong, leaving Gyeongnam with regret, and Suwon immediately launched a counterattack.

In the 34th minute of the second half, substitute Park Ji-won of Suwon scored the winning goal. In a counter-attack, Iluchenko delivered a sharp through pass, which Park Ji-won controlled and connected with a left-footed shot. The ball deflected off goalkeeper Lee Beom-su's hands and into the net.

Suwon held off Gyeongnam's relentless attack for the remainder of the match without conceding, securing a 1-0 victory. This win allowed Suwon to break their goalless streak and establish a foothold in the race for the top spot. Meanwhile, despite a valiant home performance, Gyeongnam failed to score and postponed their chance of escaping the lower table to a future match.

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*This content was translated by AI.