Lee Jeong-hyo's promotion is in sight: The winner of the '1st vs 2nd place' tightrope walk is Suwon! Defeating Seoul E-Land 1-0, they surge to the top with a seven-point lead over second place [Mokdong]

*This content was translated by AI.

In a big match between the first and second-place teams in K League 2, Suwon Samsung emerged victorious, securing a narrow win on the road against Seoul E-Land.

On the 12th at 4:30 p.m., Suwon defeated Seoul E-Land 1-0 in an away match of Round 26 of 'Hana Bank K League 2 2026' held at Mokdong Stadium.

Suwon, continuing their unbeaten streak of nine games (six wins, three draws), sits atop the table with 53 points (16 wins, five draws, four losses), leading by seven points over second-place Daegu FC. Meanwhile, Seoul E-Land's nine-game unbeaten run (five wins, four draws) was broken; they dropped to third place with 45 points (13 wins, six draws, six losses), ceding second place to Daegu.

The home team Seoul E-Land deployed a 4-3-3 formation. The front three consisted of Park Jae-yong, Ahn Ju-wan, and Euller in the attacking line, while the midfield was formed by Karius, Park Chang-hwan, and Yoon Seok-joo. The back four comprised Bae Seo-jun, Osmar, Baek Ji-woong, and Oh In-pyo. Goalkeeper Min Sung-jun wore the gloves.

The visiting team Suwon lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Kang Hyun-mook and Dubitskas started as the striking duo, with Luis and Kang Sung-jin deployed on the left and right wings respectively. The midfield was formed by Kim Min-woo and Jung Ho-yeon. The back four consisted of Lee Sang-min, Hong Jeong-ho, Ko Jong-hyun, and Lee Geon-hee. Goalkeeper Kim Min-jun guarded the goal.

In a tense flow, 18-year-old rookie Ahn Ju-wan recorded the first shot of the match. In the fifth minute of the first half, Ahn Ju-wan collected the ball on the left flank, cut inside toward the center, and curled a right-footed shot that struck a defender.

Suwon also counterattacked. In the ninth minute of the first half, Dubitskas received a forward pass from Luis and took a shot in front of the goal, but it was saved by goalkeeper Min Sung-jun.

Pressing relentlessly, Suwon finally scored the opening goal one minute later. Kim Min-woo headed down a free kick flying toward the penalty area, and Dubitskas pushed it into the net.

Having seized the initiative, Suwon dominated the match through the middle of the first half with consecutive shots from Kang Sung-jin, Luis, and Kang Hyun-mook. While Seoul E-Land struggled to mount attacks, goalkeeper Min Sung-jun repeatedly made crucial saves to avert scoring threats.

Not only Min Sung-jun but also Kim Min-jun's saves were outstanding. In the 23rd minute of the first half, Kim Min-jun dove to deflect a header from Park Jae-yong aimed at the goal.

Seoul E-Land, which had struggled to advance, began to increase its ball possession as the first half drew to a close and continued to seek opportunities. Although they failed to create clear chances, in the 43rd minute of the first half, Karius suddenly took a long-range shot from behind the arc circle, but Kim Min-jun stretched his arms upward to deflect it. The first half ended with Suwon leading 1-0.

The first half of the second period continued with Seoul E-Land's one-sided flow. In the 16th minute of the second half, Park Jae-yong slightly redirected a cross from Karius into the penalty area with a header, but it struck the left goalpost.

Suwon Samsung, which had been quiet since the start of the second half, shook the net but the goal was disallowed following video assistant referee (VAR) review. In the 19th minute of the second half, Luis delivered a cross from the left flank, Kang Hyun-mook connected with a header, and goalkeeper Min Sung-jun deflected it. However, Kang Hyun-mook pushed in the second ball. After VAR review, Kang Hyun-mook was called for offside.

Desperate for an equalizer, Seoul E-Land faced further setbacks as key center-back Baek Ji-woong left due to injury and Jo Jun-hyun was hastily substituted in, using their final substitution card.

Until the end of the second half, Seoul E-Land had shots from Gabriel, Kim Hyun, and Kim Oh-gyu but ultimately failed to score an equalizer. The match concluded with a 1-0 victory for Suwon.

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*This content was translated by AI.