Garcia scores a dramatic late equalizer! Cheongju defeats Seoul E-Land for the season's first victory in 'Chungbuk'... 'Fierce finishing power' shines [Mokdong On-site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Cheongju scored a dramatic late equalizer to secure a valuable first victory of the season.

Cheongju secured a 2-1 comeback victory in the 15th round of the 'Hana Bank K League 2 2026' away match against Seoul E-Land at Mokdong Stadium on the 7th at 7:30 p.m.

After achieving their first victory of the season in their 15th league match, Cheongju moved up from 15th to 14th place with 13 points (1 win, 10 draws, 3 losses). Seoul E-Land, whose winning streak was halted, remained in 3rd place with 26 points (8 wins, 2 draws, 5 losses).

Seoul E-Land deployed a 3-4-3 formation. The front three consisted of Karius, Kim Hyun, and Kang Hyun-je. The midfield was composed of Seo Jin-seok and Park Chang-hwan. The left wing-back position drew attention. Kim Hyun-woo, a 'Star Awards' recipient, appeared after a three-month absence. This was his first start of the season. Oh In-pyo took the right wing-back role. The three center-backs were Park Jae-hwan, Kim Oh-gyun, and Park Jin-young. Goalkeeper Min Seong-jun wore the gloves.

Cheongju countered with a 4-3-3 formation. Seo Jae-won, Garcia, and Hong Seok-jun led the attack from the front. In the second line, Heo Seung-chan, Kim Sun-min, and Jung Jin-woo were deployed. The back four consisted of Park Geon-woo, Jo Yun-seong, Lee Chang-hoon, and Vandeira. Song Seong-hoon guarded the goal.

A tense battle continued from the start of the match, and Seoul E-Land recorded the first shot of the game in the 9th minute of the first half. Kim Hyun received a forward pass from Kang Hyun-je in the center of the penalty box and turned to shoot, but the shot was blocked by the defense.

The first yellow card of the match was issued in the 17th minute of the first half. Kim Hyun-woo, overly eager, pushed Heo Seung-chan recklessly during an aerial duel, and the referee immediately showed a yellow card. Kim Hyun-woo acknowledged the foul and raised his hand to the Cheongju players to express his apology.

In the 29th minute of the first half, Kim Hyun-woo collided heavily with Karius during a corner kick situation and was unable to get up for some time. Medical staff were called in, and fortunately, he was able to stand up.

Kim Hyun-woo's cross sparked the opening goal. In the 33rd minute of the first half, Kim Hyun-woo delivered a precise cross from the left flank, which Oh In-pyo controlled and connected with a shot. Goalkeeper Song Seong-hoon parried the ball, but Kim Hyun scored with a fantastic scissors kick, shaking the net. This marked Kim Hyun's first goal of the season.

Seoul E-Land, riding high on momentum, continued to threaten Cheongju's goal. One minute after the opening goal, Oh In-pyo threaded a penetrating pass to Park Chang-hwan, who was rushing toward the goal. Park Chang-hwan shot immediately, but the goalkeeper made a save. Subsequently, Seo Jin-seok took another shot at the ball cleared by the defense, but it went over the goal.

Cheongju operated the match relatively cohesively but failed to create shooting opportunities. Throughout the first half, Cheongju recorded not a single shot. The first half ended with Seoul E-Land leading 1-0.

Immediately after the second half began, coach Kim Do-gyun substituted out wing-back Kim Hyun-woo and brought on Son Hyuk-chan. Cheongju, urgently needing an equalizer, pushed their line up and took an aggressive approach.

Cheongju finally recorded their first shot of the match in the 7th minute of the second half. In a counter-attack, Seo Jae-won penetrated to the left side of the penalty box, shook off a defender, and shot with his right foot. However, goalkeeper Min Seong-jun dove to parry the ball.

Cheongju narrowly missed the chance to equalize. In the 13th minute of the second half, Jung Jin-woo took a surprise curling shot from near the arc, which goalkeeper Min Seong-jun tipped with his fingertips. Two minutes later, as Vandeira's cross headed toward the goal, goalkeeper Min Seong-jun quickly parried it, and Garcia's subsequent shot was blocked by a defender.

As Euler and Byun Gyeong-jun entered the match in the middle of the second half, Seoul E-Land regained control. In the 19th minute of the second half, shots from Geraldes and Park Jae-hwan followed one after another, but neither led to an additional goal.

The match then settled into a lull. Seoul E-Land set up a thick defense in a 5-4-1 formation, while Cheongju continued to attempt attacks.

Finally, Cheongju reaped the rewards. A costly defensive error by Seoul E-Land proved painful. Park Jae-hwan failed to control the ball properly inside the box, allowing it to slip away, and Lee Jong-eon stepped over it and shot to shake the net.

Riding high on momentum, Cheongju also scored the go-ahead goal. In stoppage time of the second half, Garcia received a lateral pass from Vandeira and shot into the empty net, shaking the net. Son Hyuk-chan's defense, which failed to properly handle the long ball again, was regrettable.

The match concluded with a 2-1 comeback victory for Cheongju.

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*This content was translated by AI.