'Despite 21 shots...' Seoul E-land held to a painful 1-1 draw by Paju in 'Ryu Won-woo's save show'... 1st-place Suwon closes gap with 3-point lead [Mokdong On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Seoul E-land, despite deploying formidable attacking power, settled for a draw against Paju Frontier due to disappointing finishing.

On the 23rd at 7:30 p.m., Seoul E-land drew 1-1 with Paju Frontier in their 23rd-round home match of 'Hana Bank K League 2 2026' held at Mokdong Stadium.

Seoul E-land, which has gone unbeaten in seven matches since the World Cup break (four wins, three draws), moved up one spot from third to second place with 41 points (12 wins, five draws, five losses). They trail first-place Suwon Samsung by three points. Paju finished in 11th place with 25 points (seven wins, four draws, 11 losses).

Seoul E-land deployed a 4-3-3 formation. The front three consisted of Park Jae-yong, Ahn Ju-wan, and Euler. The midfield was composed of Karius, Park Chang-hwan, and Baek Ji-woong. The back four was formed by Bae Seo-jun, Osmar, Kim Oh-gyu, and Oh In-pyo. Goalkeeper Min Seong-jun wore the gloves.

Paju countered with a 5-3-2 formation. Borja Baston led the attack from the two-striker position, with Lee Jun-seok, Choi Beom-kyung, and Yoo Jae-jun positioned in the second line. The five-back defense consisted of Lee Min-ki, Bonilla, Hong Jeong-won, Kim Min-ho, and Noh Seung-ik. Ryu Won-woo guarded the goal.

Seoul E-land shook Paju's net in the sixth minute of the first half but had to swallow their disappointment after an offside call was made. In a counterattack, Karius sent a forward pass to Ahn Ju-wan, who surged into the left side of the penalty box. Ahn then passed to the center, where Park Chang-hwan finished, but the referee ruled it offside after video assistant referee (VAR) review.

Thereafter, Seoul E-land took control and created scoring opportunities. In the 18th minute of the first half, Ryu Won-woo barely deflected a header from Park Jae-yong at close range, and the referee again called offside. In the 26th minute, Euler's powerful left-footed long-range shot was also saved by Ryu, who threw his body to block it.

Paju launched a rare counterattack. In the 30th minute of the first half, Lee Jun-seok dribbled past a defender from the left side of the box and sent a low pass toward goal, but goalkeeper Min Seong-jun anticipated it and blocked the path. In the 40th minute, Choi Beom-kyung's right-footed long-range shot was stopped by a super save from Min, who threw his body to make the stop.

Although Seoul E-land dominated the match, they failed to score first in the first half. In the 44th minute, Karius' powerful right-footed shot hit the goalkeeper's punch, and Ahn Ju-wan's curling shot in added time was also saved by the keeper. The first half ended goalless at 0-0.

Just 19 seconds into the second half, Paju struck. Baek Ji-woong lost possession under Lee Je-ho's forward pressure in Seoul E-land's half. Baston immediately shot at the loose ball but was blocked, and Lee Je-ho followed up with a shot that found the net. This gave Lee Je-ho back-to-back goals.

Desperate, Seoul E-land counterattacked. In the 10th minute of the second half, Euler's cross from the right flank was connected by Park Jae-yong with a header, but it was saved by goalkeeper Min Seong-jun.

After persistent pressure, Seoul E-land finally equalized. In the 14th minute of the second half, Kim Hyun headed a cross into the box, which Ryu Won-woo deflected. Park Jae-yong then pushed the second ball into the net with his forehead, finding the back of the net. This marked Park Jae-yong's fifth consecutive game with an attacking point.

After the hydration break, Seoul E-land continued to press. In the 32nd minute of the second half, Euler's free kick delivered toward the goal was saved by Ryu Won-woo. One minute later, a header from Park Chang-hwan narrowly missed the target.

Seoul E-land's attacks continued until the final moments of the second half. In the 39th minute, Kim Hyun's powerful header from close range went over the crossbar.

No goals were scored during seven minutes of added time in the second half, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

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*This content was translated by AI.