"(Kim) Bo-kyung is with his brother, so the goal has broken through." Anyang's 'Eonseong Hero' Lee Jin-yong, behind the scenes of scoring after 2 years and 4 months: "I will keep sticking close to him" [Anyang on-site]

*This content was translated by AI.

FC Anyang's "vacuum cleaner" Lee Jin-yong (25) shared meaningful remarks after scoring his second career professional goal for the first time in 2 years and 4 months.

Anyang secured a 2-1 comeback victory against Jeju in their home match of the '2026~2027 Hana Bank Korea Cup' Round of 16 held at Anyang Stadium on the 19th.

After losing to Jeju in the K League 1 Round 23 matchup on the 15th, Anyang achieved revenge in their rematch just four days later. Moreover, they made history by becoming the first club in their organization's history to reach the Korea Cup quarterfinals.

The top contributor to the victory was Lee Jin-yong, the scorer of the winning goal. In the 23rd minute of the second half, with the score tied at 1-1, Lee Jin-yong received a pass from Choi Geon-ju in front of the goal and shook the net with a precise non-stop shot aimed at the corner.

This was an extremely meaningful goal for Lee Jin-yong. Having scored his professional debut goal against Busan IPark on April 17, 2024, during his time at Kim Cheon (SVP), he experienced the thrill of scoring his second career goal after nearly 2 years and 4 months.

Meeting Lee Jin-yong in the joint interview area (mixed zone) after the match, he smiled brightly and said, "We had a somewhat stagnant period due to three consecutive league losses, but I am happy that this cup victory has reversed our mood and allowed us to continue on a positive note."

He continued, "Strangely, whenever I played in Korea Cup (FA Cup) matches with my previous teams, I felt good, and my shots tended to go well toward the goal. I am truly happy that my goal helped Anyang advance to the quarterfinals."

When asked about the scoring situation, Lee Jin-yong revealed a cheerful behind-the-scenes story. He said, "I don't remember the scoring situation itself very well because I was in a daze, but recently (Kim) Bo-kyung has been taking very good care of me. There is a story around that whenever I play with Brother Bo-kyung, goals break through and I receive good energy. I think I need to stick close to him even more from now on," he joked.

He also added, "There is a culture at the club where coffee is circulated when something good happens or when someone scores a goal. Usually, we drink coffee around the stadium, but since I am not a player who scores often, I will treat everyone to specially brewed coffee with high-quality beans," which drew laughter.

Even amidst the joy of finally scoring after a long time, Lee Jin-yong first emphasized his dedication to Coach Yoo Byung-hoon and the team. Regarding the coach's praise for always taking on unpleasant tasks, he said, "I always approach matches with the thought of repaying Coach Yoo Byung-hoon since coming to Anyang. It is a role where I sacrifice from behind for the team, but personally, I feel quite upset because I believe I have not yet met even 50% of what the coach expects."

He further added, "Although the team's situation has not been good recently, the instruction to 'do our best in the current situation' was well shared among the players. In the remaining second half of the season, I want to fulfill the unpleasant tasks desired by the coach and my role at my position even more faithfully."

Entering his seventh professional season, Lee Jin-yong has become a reliable resource with over 120 league matches played, yet he still has no goals in the league. Lee Jin-yong admitted, "My teammates know I have no goals and often tease me during training. It is personally embarrassing not to have scored in the league after more than 120 matches," but also stated, "Even without scoring, I place meaning on having played so many games as a midfielder. From now on, I want to continue my dedicated play and develop at Anyang into a player who can record offensive points like other midfielders."

Having written new club history by advancing to the Korea Cup quarterfinals, Lee Jin-yong's gaze is now directed toward an important match against FC Seoul in three days. He said, "I have never played against Seoul before, but I well understand how much meaning and importance that match holds for Anyang. All other matches are important, but I want to win the upcoming Seoul match without fail," burning with a desire for victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.