The match wasn't over yet, but he burst into tears... A fatal error led to a dramatic comeback, leaving the defender in tears

*This content was translated by AI.

Professional soccer K League 1 Daejeon Hana Citizen secured a thrilling comeback win against Ulsan HD. The equalizing goal and the go-ahead goal were scored at 45+4 minutes and 45+7 minutes of the second half, respectively. However, there was a player who burst into tears before the match had even fully concluded. Cho Sung-kwon (25), a Daejeon center back, narrowly escaped a crisis thanks to his team's comeback after nearly becoming the villain of defeat due to a fatal error.

Cho Sung-kwon started and played the full 90 minutes in the home match against Ulsan during Round 25 of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 held at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on the 26th. Until the moment stoppage time began after all 90 minutes of regular time had elapsed, this match was about to remain in his memory as a "worst performance." There was a reason for this. Earlier in the second half, at the 4th-minute mark, he provided the opportunity for the first goal through what can only be described as a fatal error.

Positioned at the very back of the team's defensive line, he attempted a backward pass to the goalkeeper to avoid the opponent's forward pressure. However, the pass went astray and drifted weakly, allowing Lee Jin-hyun to intercept it and seize the opportunity for a one-on-one confrontation with the goalkeeper without missing a beat. On this day, Ulsan had only one shot in the first half, making Lee Jin-hyun's shot their second attempt, which broke the balance and resulted in the opening goal.

For Daejeon, which had never won a match after conceding an early goal this season, this was a critical blow. It was not a situation where anyone else could be blamed; it was purely a personal error leading to the goal, making it a painful moment for Cho Sung-kwon as well. Moreover, Ulsan's defense and goal were guarded by "national team-level" players. Although Daejeon continued their attack, the balance broken by Cho Sung-kwon's mistake rarely returned to its original state.

Then, in stoppage time of the second half, a miraculous drama unfolded for Daejeon. At the halfway point of the eight minutes of added time, Rubikson connected with a cross from the wing via a header, and Jeong Jae-hee, who rushed in, finished the play. Then, three minutes later, the situation reversed: Jeong Jae-hee's cross was connected by Rubikson with a header, shaking the net. This was the moment when Daejeon, which had been heavily favored to lose, instantly turned the tide at the end of stoppage time.

The match was not yet over. However, after Rubikson's go-ahead goal, Cho Sung-kwon was seen on the broadcast screen sitting on the ground and bursting into tears. Other Daejeon teammates even approached him to comfort him. Even afterward, Cho Sung-kwon's eyes were filled with tears, and his face appeared swollen due to crying. It seemed as though a complex mix of emotions was at play: guilt over having pushed his team to the brink of defeat through his own mistake, and joy over his team's dramatic comeback victory.

After securing the comeback, Daejeon held onto their one-goal lead until the end, completing the dramatic turnaround. Cho Sung-kwon also contributed to the team's victory as a defender at the back without committing any further mistakes. Jeong Jae-hee, who stood at the center of this comeback drama with one goal and one assist on this day, smiled when hearing the commentators' explanation that "Cho Sung-kwon burst into tears after the comeback due to his earlier mistake," saying, "(We should) make him buy us a meal." Daejeon, achieving their first comeback win of the season, climbed to 9th place with 32 points (8 wins, 8 draws, 9 losses), riding a wave of four wins in their last five matches including two consecutive victories. The gap with second-place Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors is six points.

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*This content was translated by AI.