'Three wins in five games against Jeonbuk, again undefeated': Coach Lee Young-min says, "The reason for our strength? We fought desperately and gave everything." [Bucheon Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Lee Young-min, head coach of BucheonFC, offered top-tier praise to the players who defeated the "big fish," Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

On the 16th, Bucheon secured a thrilling 3-2 victory over Jeonbuk in their home match at Bucheon Stadium as part of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 23, overturning expectations.

With this win, Bucheon extended its unbeaten run to four games (two wins, two draws). The team now stands at six wins, nine draws, and eight losses, accumulating 27 points and climbing from 11th to 9th place in the league standings.

Meanwhile, Jeonbuk, previously in fourth place, fell to a record of nine wins, seven draws, and seven losses (34 points). The team has now lost two consecutive matches, following a recent three-game winless streak (one draw, two losses) and a 1-3 away defeat against JejuSK.

Bucheon also maintained its advantage in head-to-head matchups against Jeonbuk. Although Jeonbuk was expected to dominate based on league position and team strength, Bucheon has consistently shown unexpected power whenever facing Jeonbuk. Including this victory, Bucheon has recorded three wins and two draws in five matches against Jeonbuk.

After the match, Coach Lee Young-min expressed satisfaction, stating, "The players fought desperately for the win. We defeated Jeonbuk at home," adding, "We gave our all, which is why we were able to secure the victory."

Gabriel, a Brazilian striker who recently joined the team as a free agent, played as the leading forward and contributed significantly to the team's win. Coach Lee praised him, saying, "Gabriel is part of our squad and has great value," giving him a passing grade.

He continued, "Gabriel's condition has improved greatly, and he has been performing well. However, we need to monitor his knee status." He added, "If Gustavo also fulfills his role, he can certainly be used as a starter."

Gustavo's arrival has expanded the team's tactical options. Coach Lee explained, "A two-striker formation with Gabriel and Gustavo is possible," noting, "I believe we can develop this in a positive direction."

Jeonbuk's pursuit was fierce. Although Bucheon took a 3-0 lead and seemed poised for an easy victory, Jeonbuk narrowed the gap to one goal through consecutive goals by Cho Woo-jin and Park Ji-soo in the second half. In the final moments of the match, Jeonbuk midfielder Lee Young-jae's free-kick shot struck the crossbar.

However, Coach Lee emphasized the significance of the final result—the win. He stated, "I thought Jeonbuk would use the remaining time to focus on aerial duels," and added, "We couldn't control every aspect of the game."

He further explained, "Instead of adding more defenders, we reduced our midfielders. It was a strategy aimed at winning. We could have scored another goal, but there are scenarios where not scoring is acceptable. Handling aerial balls took priority."

With this victory, Jeonbuk has gained momentum in its battle to avoid relegation. At the same time, advancing to Final A remains a viable target. The gap with sixth-place Pohang Steelers (31 points) is not significant.

Nevertheless, Coach Lee reiterated, "Our primary goal was to escape the relegation zone without exception," adding, "The players are working hard to show better performances. However, there is no guarantee of winning in future matches. We will focus on performing well in each game."

When asked again about the reasons for Bucheon's strength against Jeonbuk, Coach Lee repeated, "The players gave their all and fought with everything they had for the victory."

Bucheon also set a new record with this win over Jeonbuk—its 100th home victory in professional history. Coach Lee remarked, "This was an important match, but achieving our historic 100th home win as Bucheon's coach makes me very happy."

The coach also expressed gratitude to the passionate Bucheon fans who supported the team. Reflecting on his journey since leading the club to promotion last year, he said, "Before promotion, I wanted to create a culture where everyone, including those in the temporary stands, could cheer together."

He continued, "Recently, not only Hermes (Bucheon's supporter group), but also fans from both the temporary and main stands have been cheering together. Seeing this dream come true brings me great satisfaction."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.