"I felt upset throughout the match, in many ways..." SuwonFC Women's head coach Park Gil-young, visibly choked up, shared his heartfelt words [Suwon]

*This content was translated by AI.

The coach found it difficult to speak as he recalled the players who overcame poor conditions.

SuwonFC Women, led by head coach Park Gil-young, suffered a 2-1 comeback defeat against North Korea's Naegohyang Women's Football Team in the AFC Women's Champions League (AWCL) semi-final held at 7 p.m. on the 20th at Suwon Sports Complex, ending their hopes of reaching the final.

SuwonFC Women displayed overwhelming performance, hitting the goalpost twice in the first half, and gained momentum with Ayaka's opening goal early in the second half. However, they conceded consecutive headers from Naegohyang, and captain Ji So-yun's penalty miss in the final moments of the match sealed their narrow loss.

Especially painful was the struggle against Naegohyang's strong physical play in the second half, which led to consecutive header goals from Ko Young-ok and Kim Kyung-yeong.

In the post-match press conference, head coach Park Gil-young struggled to speak. With a trembling voice, he said, "I am sorry to the fans who supported us despite the bad weather. I am also grateful to the many media personnel." He added, "Regardless of the result, the players gave their all."

An AFC official, before taking questions, said, "Please ask questions related to this match."

SuwonFC Women missed crucial opportunities as Haruhi's header in the 21st minute of the first half and Milenyana's right-footed shot in the 30th minute both struck the goalpost. In the 34th minute of the second half, while trailing 1-2, Ji So-yun's penalty kick also missed the goal, and their luck simply did not favor them.

Suwon Sports Complex that day saw a 3,000-member civilian joint support group, funded by a 300 million won grant from the Ministry of Unification, creating an abnormal atmosphere where silence prevailed even after the home team scored, while one-sided cheers erupted only during North Korea's attacks and goals. Despite being the home team, they had to fight in an alien environment that was practically an away game.

When asked if they had enjoyed the home-field advantage, head coach Park Gil-young paused, then said, "We are the Republic of Korea's football team, SuwonFC Women," before trailing off with "in many ways..." and unable to continue.

Coach Park Gil-young then added, "I felt upset throughout the match. My heart feels heavy."

Regarding interest in women's football, he said, "A victory was necessary to generate interest in women's football. Please pay more attention to women's football." He continued, "(The conditions are) very poor. It's the first time so many spectators and journalists have come. I was excited and happy. The players were united with the sentiment that 'we must play for the development of women's football.' I hope this opportunity brings many more spectators to women's football."

Additionally, head coach Park Gil-young said, "The players approached the match with the mindset of playing one more time. In the second half, we emphasized second balls. The players were commendable." He added, "I told Ji So-yun to take the penalty. The responsibility is mine. I told her not to worry about it. I said, 'I told her to take it, so I will take responsibility.' I also told her not to bow her head."

Finally, head coach Park Gil-young concluded, "All the staff and players worked hard. I want to express my apologies. I am also sorry to the Fortresses (SuwonFC Supporters). I hope you continue to show your interest. I ask for your support," ending the press conference.

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*This content was translated by AI.