"I did it without realizing..." The story behind the visiting team's coach performing a ceremony in front of rival fans, SuwonFC manager Park Geon-ha: "I was truly grateful and moved" [Suwon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

The visiting team's coach melted under the enthusiastic cheers of his former fans. SuwonFC manager Park Geon-ha honestly shared the complex and mixed emotions he felt after a hard-fought derby match ended in a draw.

On the 15th, SuwonFC secured a 2-2 draw against Suwon Samsung in an away match at the Hana Bank K League 2 2026 Round 22 held at Suwon World Cup Stadium. After conceding the first goal in the first half, they managed to take the lead with consecutive goals by Jung Seung-bae and Gu Bon-cheol, but later conceded an equalizer and missed a penalty kick, settling for one point.

In the post-match press conference, manager Park Geon-ha said, "Thank you to all SuwonFC fans who came to support us. It was a disappointing game that we couldn't win." He added, "Our defense in the first half didn't perform as planned and we lost momentum, but in the second half we responded well and the game improved significantly."

He continued, "After the score became 2-2, we could have conceded again, but we also earned a penalty kick. It was a disappointing match for both teams," and encouraged his players by saying, "Thank you to the players who kept fighting even in difficult situations."

Regarding Mateus Babie, who missed a penalty kick in the 40th minute of the second half, Park said, "We didn't pre-plan the kicker; we chose a confident player to take it." He added, "Babie scored well during practice free kicks too. Since he created the penalty himself, he must have had a strong desire to score. He's probably the most disappointed."

On the scene where Park Geon-ha spoke with the fourth official after a whistle blew during a corner kick opportunity just before the end of the match, the manager explained, "I naturally asked why they were ending it so abruptly," and added, "The referee replied that extra time had already passed."

Park also revealed the background behind greeting Suwon Samsung supporters at the end of the match and performing his trademark 'collar ceremony' from his playing days. He said, "Even without me saying it, everyone knows that Suwon supporters are the best," and added, "I thought it was right to come to this stadium where I played so long ago and greet them."

He continued with a smile, "They welcomed us warmly, and I ended up doing the ceremony without realizing it. I even felt a bit of regret afterward," but then added, "Hearing my name called again after such a long time made me truly grateful and moved."

Regarding future schedules amidst tight competition for top positions, manager Park Geon-ha stated, "Rather than preparing specifically, we will do our best in every match as if it were a final with the players. I don't think there's anything else to do."

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*This content was translated by AI.