'A Counterpunch Against the Mighty Seoul E-land': Coach Cha Du-ri Says, "Without Good Players, There Is No Tactics," Giving a Thumbs-Up to His Players [Mokdong On-Site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Cha Du-ri (46), head coach of Hwaseong FC, expressed his joy after defeating Seoul E-land in an away match.

On the 26th at 2 p.m., Hwaseong secured a 2-0 victory over Seoul E-land in the "Hana Bank K League 2 2026 Round 9" away match held at the main stadium of Mokdong Sports Complex.

Hwaseong, which has continued an unbeaten streak in its last three matches (two wins, one draw), moved up from 12th to 7th place with 12 points (three wins, three draws, three losses). Seoul E-land, whose four-game winning streak ended, remained in third place with 16 points (five wins, one draw, three losses).

Coach Cha Du-ri deployed his defensive line deep from the start of the match to guard against Seoul E-land's formidable firepower. Hwaseong took the early lead in the 22nd minute of the first half when Flana calmly converted a penalty kick awarded to Kim Dae-hwan. The team then withstood Seoul E-land's offensive pressure with a highly focused defense, and in the 34th minute of the second half, Demetrius scored a decisive counterattack goal after receiving a skillful pass from Flana, securing the victory.

In the post-match press conference, Coach Cha Du-ri reflected on the game, stating, "We planned and prepared for many scenarios. Although we struggled early in the first half as the opponent launched a build-up different from our expectations, the players quickly recognized the situation, adjusted their formation, and intelligently found space."

Defending against Seoul E-land's offensive surge in the second half and launching counterattacks was also an intentional strategy. Coach Cha Du-ri explained, "We anticipated that high-quality players like Eulher and Byun Gyeong-jun would come onto the wings in the second half. We believed that lowering our defensive line would certainly create opportunities for us."

He continued, "When the opportunity arose, substitute Demetrius perfectly fulfilled his connecting role. We focused heavily on training to handle long balls coming into the center, and the defenders also did their part."

Coach Cha Du-ri also openly expressed his appreciation for Demetrius, who scored the decisive goal today. Regarding Demetrius's limited playing time this season, the coach said, "He was slightly overshadowed in the competition during the recent focus on wing play, but he is a player with exceptional ability to maintain possession and link up plays even in difficult situations. I was certain a chance would come for him. He played intelligently even within the defensive block and played a truly great role for the team, for which I am grateful."

Finally, Coach Cha Du-ri shifted the credit from tactical victory to the players themselves. He stated, "Without good players, there is no tactics. Everything is created by the players. Everyone came together and held strong in the hot weather, displaying high-quality play. Today's victory was achieved because our entire squad created everything."

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*This content was translated by AI.