"I've had a hard time too," Coach Lee Young-min roars... Bucheon smiles after 6 games [Gangneung on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

Professional soccer club Bucheon FC secured its first victory in six games. After a long wait, the valuable win finally came, and Coach Lee Young-min of Bucheon FC roared for the first time in a while.

On the 1st, Bucheon achieved a decisive 3-0 away victory against Gangwon FC in Round 21 of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 at Gangneung High1 Resort Arena.

This was a particularly welcome win for Bucheon. It marked their first second-half victory since the World Cup break, ending a recent slump of five games without a win (three draws and two losses).

It also laid the groundwork for a push into the mid-table standings. With 5 wins, 8 draws, and 8 losses (23 points), Bucheon sits in 10th place, level on points with 9th-place Kim Cheon (SVP) (23 points). The gap to 8th-place Jeju SK (27 points) is also not large.

Bucheon had not won for a while, but their performance itself was not poor. Last month, FC Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong admitted that even after winning an away match against Bucheon, it was "the most tense game of the year." They engaged in a high-scoring shootout against FC Anyang, scoring five goals but losing 2-3, and in their previous match against Incheon United, they led 1-0 only to concede an equalizer late in the second half.

However, against Gangwon, they secured both the performance and the result.

After the match, Coach Lee Young-min praised his players, saying, "It was hot weather. Since we haven't won since the World Cup break, the players must have been anxious. We did our best on the field to get out of that atmosphere, and I think we managed to beat a good team like Gangwon."

Bucheon took the lead in the 19th minute of the first half with Gallego's spectacular left-footed wonder goal. In the 15th minute of the second half, Sung Ye-geon scored his professional debut goal, and in the 24th minute, Gabriel headed in a late goal from a corner kick situation.

Especially at the moment Gallego's opening goal went in, Coach Lee Young-min clenched his fist and roared.

The coach candidly admitted, "We haven't won for a while, so I've had a hard time too. That's why I think I was very happy when the goal went in."

He did not hold back praise for Sung Ye-geon, who scored his first professional goal.

The midfielder, who attended Kyunghee High School and Hannam University, joined Bucheon during the summer transfer window. He has been earning Coach Lee Young-min's trust on the professional stage, gradually increasing his playing time, and finally scored his professional debut goal against Gangwon.

Coach Lee Young-min explained, "Sung Ye-geon is a player with great energy. In fact, I was initially hesitant about putting him directly into the game. While he showed potential, there could be differences in actual match situations."

He continued, "But every time he enters the field, he shows a high energy level. As a player needed by the team, his teammates seem to benefit from Sung Ye-geon's play."

He added, "Although he is still a rookie, I really want to praise him."

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*This content was translated by AI.