"We were more powerless than Hwaseong." Seoul I-land manager Kim Do-gyun sighs after four-game winning streak ends: "There were gaps in key players... but this defeat leaves no room for excuses" [Mokdong]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Do-gyun (49), manager of Seoul I-land, expressed his regret after losing to Hwaseong FC.

Seoul I-land lost 1-2 to Hwaseong FC in their home match of the "Hana Bank K League 2 2026 Round 9" held at Mokdong Stadium's main field at 2 p.m. on the 26th.

Seoul I-land's four-game winning streak came to an end, maintaining third place with 16 points (5 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses). Hwaseong, which had gone unbeaten in their last three matches (2 wins, 1 draw), moved up from 12th to 7th place with 12 points (3 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses).

Seoul I-land's long-standing "undefeated on Sundays" record finally ended. Although they controlled possession from the start and repeatedly tested Hwaseong's defense, their luck in scoring was notably poor: Park Jae-yong's goal in the 32nd minute of the first half was disallowed after video assistant referee (VAR) review, and a powerful header in the 7th minute of the second half struck the goalpost.

In the second half, Seoul I-land deployed key substitutes including Eulher and Byun Kyung-jun to strengthen their lineup and launch a full-scale attack, but they instead conceded an additional goal from a single counterattack. In the 40th minute of the second half, Park Jae-yong scored a determined header to narrow the gap, keeping the hope of a comeback alive until the final whistle, but there was not enough time to overturn the result.

After the match, manager Kim Do-gyun entered the press conference room with a somber expression, bowing his head as he said, "Many fans came to our home stadium, and I am sorry we could not repay them with a victory."

He continued, "Overall, the game was more powerless and lacking compared to Hwaseong. Although some key players were absent, we should have handled that situation better. The overall balance was worse than in previous matches, and we gave our opponents too many chances, which ultimately led to goals conceded and defeat."

Regarding the lineup changes, he added, "To be honest, we felt the absence of existing starters like Osma. As a manager, I saw many shortcomings, and it is regrettable that there were lapses in stamina and concentration."

On the psychological impact of the streak being broken, he said, "The pressure was less about the winning streak and more about the anxiety of conceding the first goal early. Even after the second goal, the balance broke down, leading to a drop in defenders' concentration and stamina, and we gave away space too easily. While it was positive that we chased back one goal, the fact that we could not equalize is an issue we must reflect on for the future."

Finally, manager Kim Do-gyun vowed to rebound, saying, "We will carefully address today's shortcomings and prepare well to show a better performance in our next home match."

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*This content was translated by AI.