'Ulsan Draw' FC Anyang Coach Yoo Byung-hoon Sighs Deeply: "The Players Were Not Lacking..." [Anyang Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

FC Anyang Coach Yoo Byung-hoon attributed the draw against Ulsan HD, in which his team failed to maintain the lead despite scoring an early goal, to his own decisions.

Speaking at a press conference following the 1st-1 draw in the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 9 home match against Ulsan at Anyang Stadium on the 22nd, Coach Yoo said, "Ultimately, it was a disappointing match," and let out a deep sigh.

The coach stated, "The players showed no lack of ability against a strong team like Ulsan. However, I feel that my delayed substitution timing by about 10 to 30 seconds in managing the game led to the conceding of a goal, and that is the most regrettable part."

On this day, Anyang broke the deadlock early with an opening goal by Ailton in the 4th minute of the first half and appeared to hold the lead well through the middle of the second half. However, they conceded a painful equalizer through Heo Yul in the 37th minute of the second half, ultimately settling for a 1-1 draw. Their first consecutive wins of the season were also thwarted.

Coach Yoo explained, "We intended to make a substitution around the 80th minute (35th minute of the second half) to leave room for attack while trying to stop the opponent's two-striker formation. We couldn't hold on until the final moments and conceded a goal. That was the most regrettable aspect of today's match."

He continued, "Nevertheless, the players truly gave their all. The reason we failed to secure three points was that we were unable to score additional goals when the momentum was favorable, due to various reasons."

Regarding Ailton, who played well including scoring the opening goal but was substituted in the 23rd minute of the second half, the coach added, "He was in good condition from the first half, but reports indicated tightness in his lower back muscles after explosive sprints. We were monitoring him closely, and ultimately he was substituted in the second half due to a lower back muscle injury."

With the draw against Ulsan, Anyang recorded 11 points (2 wins, 5 draws, 2 losses), dropping from 6th to 8th in the standings. They are set to travel to face bottom-placed Gwangju FC in an away match on the 26th.

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*This content was translated by AI.