[On-Site Interview] "Is Kim Ye-geon better, or is Sung Ye-geon better?" The coach's surprise question... "I just had to show it" — Proved with a goal-scoring performance against Jeonbuk

*This content was translated by AI.

"Is Kim Ye-geon better, or is Sung Ye-geon better?"

Ahead of the match, BucheonFC head coach Lee Young-min suddenly posed this question to his players. No one immediately answered, but for the subject himself, Sung Ye-geon, it served as a proper stimulus.

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

It was a thrilling upset victory. Bucheon has continued an unbeaten run with two wins and two draws in their last four matches, improving their season record to six wins, nine draws, and eight losses (27 points), climbing from 11th to 9th place in the league standings.

Their dominance against Jeonbuk also continued. While objectively Jeonbuk is considered the stronger side, Bucheon has been particularly formidable whenever they face Jeonbuk. In their last five matches against Jeonbuk, including this one, Bucheon recorded three wins and two draws without a single defeat.

At the center of it all was rookie Sung Ye-geon. In the 8th minute of the first half, after receiving a pass from Galego, he moved a step ahead of the opposing defense and calmly struck the ball into the net. His goal provided Bucheon, which had taken an aggressive approach from the start of the match, with a valuable opening strike.

After the match, when meeting reporters, Sung Ye-geon smiled broadly, saying, "I am truly happy to have beaten a strong team like Jeonbuk 3-2," and added, "During the game, I felt that our team became one. It was an emotional match."

He continued, "Jeonbuk is one of the top teams representing the K-League. Scoring against such a team itself will be a good experience for my career," attaching great significance to his goal.

Sung Ye-geon, who joined Bucheon this summer, is a rookie who attended Kyunghee High School and Hannam University. Since turning professional, he quickly seized opportunities and has now appeared in six matches, scoring two goals. After netting his professional debut goal on the 1st during an away match against Gangwon FC, he tasted success again by scoring against Jeonbuk this time.

He explained, "I am not typically a player who scores many goals," but added, "Just like in the Gangwon match, I suddenly thought, 'I need to get into that position,' and moved accordingly. That movement led to the goal."

He then thanked Galego for the good pass, giving credit to his teammate.

Head coach Lee Young-min's evaluation was also highly positive. After the match, Coach Lee said, "Sung Ye-geon is truly an amazing young man," and praised him by stating, "I thought he could do enough just by running a lot and maintaining offensive and defensive balance, but he has even scored goals."

He continued, "We brought him in during the second half of the season, and he has been a great help to the team. I believe he can grow into an even better player in the future," expressing his expectations.

Notably, Coach Lee also mentioned Kim Ye-geon, Jeonbuk's '18-year-old special talent' who has recently gained attention in the K-League, emphasizing, "Kim Ye-geon is doing well, but Bucheon also has a player named Sung Ye-geon. He is definitely a good player."

Coincidentally, the names of both players appeared together even before the match. Coach Lee asked his players, "Who is better between Kim Ye-geon and Sung Ye-geon?" No one answered, but that single remark sparked Sung Ye-geon's competitive spirit.

Sung Ye-geon laughed and said, "It would be a lie to say I wasn't aware of it," before adding, "Player Kim Ye-geon is doing really well. So I thought I had to show them something unconditionally. I wanted to deliver an even better performance than Kim Ye-geon, and I had confidence in myself." Ultimately, he scored directly against Jeonbuk, proving his presence on the field.

Born in 2005, Sung Ye-geon is a young player who has just taken his first steps onto the professional stage. While there is still much room for development, he also possesses significant potential for growth.

Coach Lee noted, "It is true that he still lacks ability in build-up play and coordinating offense and defense from midfield to control the game," but added, "I have seen many young players develop day by day as they gain match experience. I believe Sung Ye-geon will become an even better player as he continues to accumulate experience."

The player himself was well aware of his own strengths and weaknesses. Sung Ye-geon said, "I am still far from complete," but added, "I am confident in my work rate, but I feel there is room for improvement in areas like ball touches and passing to control the game. If I can develop those aspects as well, I believe I can become an even better player."

His strength, his work rate, also feels to have advanced a step since joining professional football. He stated, "I always thought I was a player who runs a lot, but my physical condition has improved even more since coming to the pros compared to university. I feel I have grown physically," and showed confidence by adding, "I found it a bit tough in the Jeonbuk match, but I didn't feel particularly exhausted in the earlier matches against Gangwon or Gwangju."

He continued, "I have played six matches since joining Bucheon and scored two goals. Just that makes me happy, but winning against Jeonbuk makes me even happier," and added, "As we play more games, I also feel our team is becoming increasingly cohesive."

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*This content was translated by AI.