'Will the 2006-born rookie's mental strength hold up?' Controversy over lack of respect for Coach Lee Jeong-hyo, leaving irreparable wounds to players and fans... even extending to the opposing team

*This content was translated by AI.

There is no excuse for this lack of respect. More painful than the humiliation of an early exit from the Korea Cup after losing to a lower-league team was the deep wound left by a bench lineup that defied common sense and reckless tactical decisions.

Under Coach Lee Jeong-hyo, Suwon Samsung lost 1-2 to Busan Transportation Corporation, the top-ranked team in the K3 League, in a grueling match that went into extra time during the 64th round (Round 2) of the 2026~2027 Hana Bank Korea Cup held at Yangsan Comprehensive Sports Stadium on the 15th.

The biggest question mark from the day's match was Coach Lee Jeong-hyo's casual game preparation and his selection of the bench lineup. Although tournament rules allow for up to nine substitute players to be registered, Coach Lee brought only six substitutes to Yangsan. Even considering the fatigue from the match against Ansan Greeners on the 11th (a 1-2 loss) and the upcoming fixture against Paju Frontier FC scheduled for the 19th, which would necessitate managing the squad's physical condition, it is simply incomprehensible to enter a match without securing even the available number of substitutes.

Suwon fielded Kim Do-yeon, Illyuchenko, Feshin, Kim Ji-sung, Go Seung-beom, Kim Sung-joo, Jung Dong-yoon, Lee Jun-jae, and Mo Gyeong-bin as starters, giving debutant center-back Han Hyun-seo, acquired from Pohang Steelers, a chance to start. The veteran goalkeeper Yang Hyung-mo guarded the goal.

While the starting lineup was normal, the bench consisted of only six players, including 2006-born rookie goalkeeper Lee Gyeong-jun, along with Park Dae-won, Lebon, Kang Sung-jin, Kim Ji-ho, and Park Ji-won, a move that unnecessarily narrowed their own options for substitutions.

The early flow of the match was not bad. In the 11th minute of the first half, Suwon scored the opening goal when Go Seung-beom's volley from a corner kick connected like a cross, which Feshin headed into the net.

However, Suwon began to unravel rapidly immediately after the second half started and Lee Jun-jae was substituted off for Park Dae-won.

In the 17th minute of the second half, goalkeeper Yang Hyung-mo committed a fatal touch error inside the penalty box, which Busan Transportation Corporation's Yan did not miss, conceding an equalizer. Immediately after the goal, Suwon launched a full-scale attack by simultaneously bringing on Kang Sung-jin, Lebon, and Kim Ji-ho, but failed to change the momentum. Furthermore, in the 28th minute of the second half, substitute Park Dae-won was forced off due to injury, requiring the use of the last available field player on the bench, Park Ji-won.

With this, Suwon exhausted all five of their prepared field player substitution cards midway through the second half and hit a wall as the match entered extra time. With no available field resources left, Coach Lee Jeong-hyo's countermeasure was the absurd unconventional move of substituting goalkeeper Lee Gyeong-jun in as a striker. Lee Gyeong-jun took to the pitch wearing Park Dae-won's jersey. Ultimately, with Kim Ji-ho scoring an own goal late in the first half of extra time, Suwon self-destructed with a 1-2 loss.

This radical decision ultimately left irreparable wounds and disappointment for everyone involved in the match.

First, this was a choice that could cause significant harm to Lee Gyeong-jun, a 2006-born goalkeeper who has just stepped onto the professional stage. Even if Coach Lee Jeong-hyo spoke with the player after the game to manage the situation and offer comfort, the very act of having a young player face the team's defeat as an unfamiliar forward rather than in his primary role as a goalkeeper is bound to leave considerable psychological burden and wounds on the young athlete.

For Suwon fans who traveled all the way to Yangsan to offer unwavering support, this defeat and the tactical decisions were a great wound. Despite it being a weekday evening, fans who made the trip for their team sought professional determination and victory, yet they had to face a powerless and bewildering match operation where a goalkeeper was used as a field player due to an incomplete substitute list.

Even fans who usually offer unwavering support to Coach Lee Jeong-hyo strongly criticized him via social networking services (SNS), saying, "We must carry a deep sense of apology toward player Lee Gyeong-jun for a long time" and "How could you make them play their most memorable professional debut match in this manner without even letting them wear their own jersey?" They continued by stating, "He should sincerely apologize to player Lee Gyeong-jun," criticizing the coach's decision-making that caused wounds through unreasonable position changes.

Furthermore, such a selection could easily be seen as a rude choice that disrespects the opposing team, Busan Transportation Corporation. Even though it is a match against a lower-league team in a formal tournament, tactics like fielding a goalkeeper as a field player can appear to underestimate the opponent's strength or treat the game lightly, making it difficult to avoid criticism of being a rude selection.

Suwon, which self-destructed after bringing about its own meager bench lineup and incomprehensible tactical decisions, left only deep regret and wounds in terms of both respect and tactical handling ability along with this Korea Cup exit.

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*This content was translated by AI.