"I cursed myself." Suwon Samsung manager Lee Jung-hyo's passionate confession... with a preview of a "strong review" even after the theater victory [Suwon]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Could I have made a better choice? I cursed myself."

Lee Jung-hyo, manager of Suwon Samsung, shared his honest feelings while reflecting on the moment when Suwon, leading comfortably 2-0, suddenly conceded two goals to equalize at 2-2 and nearly lost the momentum.

On the 25th at 2 p.m., Suwon secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Busan IPark in their home match of the Hana Bank K League 2 2026 Round 9 at Suwon World Cup Stadium.

Suwon took control of the game with Kim Do-yeon's penalty kick goal in the 33rd minute of the first half and Kang Hyun-mook's additional goal in the 11th minute of the second half. However, they faced a crisis after conceding two consecutive goals, but Hais's penalty kick goal in the 14th minute of stoppage time sealed the three points.

With this victory, Suwon successfully halted Busan's solo run of eight consecutive matches without a loss since the season opener. Both teams now share 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, accumulating 22 points, intensifying the competition for the top spot.

In the post-match press conference, manager Lee Jung-hyo said, "A total of five goals were scored. Fans who came to the stadium must have enjoyed it. Our positioning and game tempo have improved significantly. Thanks to the fans' support, we were able to win, and the players fought well as a team until the end."

However, he did not hide the lingering regret behind the joy of victory. Manager Lee Jung-hyo stated, "Busan fought very well. I want to praise them," but also emphasized, "We need to address the two goals conceded. We plan to conduct a strong review meeting through game analysis."

Especially regarding the situation in the middle of the second half when they lost a two-goal lead, manager Lee Jung-hyo confessed his painful feelings. He said, "After using substitution cards, there were moments where our focus wavered. I considered it my responsibility. I cursed myself in that instant. I even thought, 'Was there no better way? Could I have brought on a different player?'"

There were rewards. Rookie Kim Do-yeon, born in 2005, not only induced a penalty kick but also stepped up as the kicker to score his professional debut goal. Manager Lee Jung-hyo said, "Kim Do-yeon has already shown excellent performance in training. We had pre-decided that he would take the penalty kick if the situation arose. I believed that a growing player gaining confidence with a debut goal would greatly help the team. Even if he had failed, as a manager, I wanted to test myself to see if the team could hold on tightly. That was also a significant meaning."

He did not forget to praise veteran defender Hong Jung-ho. Regarding Hong Jung-ho, who perfectly shut down the opposing key attacker Christian, he said, "He is providing help in areas I cannot manage, both on and off the field. Despite the physically demanding situation, he constantly communicates and leads the game. I hope young players from the youth academy can learn from Hong Jung-ho's deep understanding of football."

He also left affectionate advice for Ko Jong-hyun, who played alongside him. Manager Lee Jung-hyo said, "He still has a long way to go," but added, "Just because there is a good player like Hong Jung-ho next to him, I hope he does not rely on him. Instead, I hope he becomes a player who can help the experienced Hong Jung-ho," thereby giving him a push.

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*This content was translated by AI.