"Title slipped away," Coach Kim Do-gyun reflects on the painful 'Wall of Suwon'... "Lacking finishing power; now the goal is to hold second place" [Mokdong Field Report]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Do-gyun (49), head coach of Seoul E-Land, shared his bitter reaction after losing to Suwon Samsung.

On the 12th at 4:30 p.m., Seoul E-Land suffered a 0-1 defeat in an away match against Suwon Samsung at Mokdong Stadium as part of Round 26 of the 'Hana Bank K League 2 2026'.

Seoul E-Land's nine-game unbeaten streak (5 wins, 4 draws) was broken. With 45 points (13 wins, 6 draws, 6 losses), they dropped to third place after yielding second place to Daegu FC. Meanwhile, Suwon continued their nine-game unbeaten run (6 wins, 3 draws), accumulating 53 points (16 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses) and surged to the top of the table, seven points ahead of second-place Daegu FC.

Seoul E-Land failed to overcome Suwon at home, missing a chance to close in on the lead and falling to third place. After conceding an early first-half goal from Dubitskas, they raised their possession rate and launched a counterattack based on goalkeeper Min Seong-jun's saves. However, despite leading the attack in the second half, they could not equalize as Park Jae-yong's header struck the post in the 16th minute of the second half, resulting in a narrow loss.

After the match, Coach Kim Do-gyun said, "Many fans came to support us, and I am truly sorry as a coach that we could not repay them with a victory." He added, "The conceded goal was something we feared, but our players fought their hardest until the very end to win the game."

He continued, "I feel responsible as a coach for our inability to score. It seems our dream of winning the title has slipped a bit further away. We must regroup and, whether finishing second or third, fulfill every remaining match faithfully while looking ahead."

Regarding the reasons for the shaky defense in the early stages, he explained, "I believe it is somewhat related to the players' experience and ability levels. There were several mistakes during the goalkeeper's build-up process in the opening moments, which caused instability. However, after conceding the goal, the players seemed to find their composure."

He expressed deep regret over failing to score despite launching a relentless offensive assault in the second half. Coach Kim stated, "We prepared for one week specifically for situations where we were trailing, utilizing all our planned substitutions and formation changes during the second half. Although several shots were taken, no goals resulted. The lack of finishing power is what I regret most."

On 18-year-old rookie An Ju-wan receiving jeers from away fans whenever he received the ball, Kim said, "An Ju-wan is young and may have been psychologically shaken or overly excited. Even in K League 2, there is a clear difference in performance when facing high-level teams compared to others."

He added, "Our team faces a similar situation. Suwon is one of the highest-level teams in K League 2, and we need to find more ways to express ourselves against such opponents and overcome them. Today, that aspect was lacking overall."

He also reaffirmed his determination for the upcoming match against second-place Daegu FC. Coach Kim emphasized, "The leading team Suwon will likely maintain high concentration given their advantageous position, but regardless, we must win the next game and strive to reach as close to second place as possible."

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*This content was translated by AI.