It seemed Jeonnam had changed... but after just one match, a 0-5 crushing defeat left them tied in points with bottom-ranked Gimhae

*This content was translated by AI.

The Jeonnam Dragons of K League 2 failed to maintain the momentum that had suggested a revival. Unlike their previous match, which offered hope for a second-half comeback, they collapsed this time after conceding five goals.

On the 10th, Jeonnam suffered a complete 0-5 defeat in an away match against Suwon FC at Suwon Sports Complex in the Hana Bank K League 2 2026 Round 17 fixture.

As a result, Jeonnam remained trapped in a winless streak of 15 consecutive matches (6 draws, 9 losses). Facing the threat of plummeting to last place, they currently sit 16th among the 17th teams in K League 2 with one win, six draws, and nine losses (9 points).

On the same day, 17th-place Gimhae FC defeated Cheonan City 1-0, recording 9 points (2 wins, 3 draws, 11 losses), tying them with Jeonnam in the standings.

The "new team" Gimhae has finally begun to adapt to the K League 2 stage, achieving two wins and one draw in their last five matches. With Jeonnam set to face eighth-place Chungnam Asan and Gimhae facing 14th-place Cheongju FC in the next round, a swap in positions is entirely possible.

For Jeonnam, more painful than the five-goal defeat was the manner of play.

In their previous match against Busan IPark, Jeonnam displayed overwhelming performance against the league leaders. Although they failed to hold a 3-1 lead late in the second half and settled for a 3-3 draw, they were praised as a completely different team compared to the first half of the season.

The effects of high-intensity training during the World Cup break also appeared to be showing. From the opening match of the second half, they secured both strong performance and results, raising expectations for a turnaround.

However, those hopes did not last long. In just one match, Jeonnam came face to face with the harsh reality.

Like in the Busan match, Jeonnam deployed a 3-4-3 formation. "Ace" Valdivia was at the center, flanked by wide attackers Jung Ji-yong and Kim Beom-su.

But Jeonnam conceded an early goal to Kim Jung-hwan in the 12th minute of the first half, followed by another from Mateus Babi in the 30th minute, falling behind.

Coach Im Kwan-sik attempted to shift momentum by substituting Hong Seok-hyun for Lee Dong-geon at the start of the second half, but it proved ineffective.

Instead, they conceded consecutive goals from Prieto in the 6th and 14th minutes of the second half, quickly trailing 0-4. Seo Jae-min and Mateus provided assists for Prieto's goals.

The collapsed Jeonnam never managed to recover. In stoppage time of the second half, they conceded a decisive goal from Ha Jung-woo, suffering a 0-5 defeat.

The hope that had sparked expectations for a second-half comeback was shaken in just one match. Instead of aiming for a rise in the standings, they now face the worry of slipping to last place.

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*This content was translated by AI.