Gyeongnam FC defeats Seoul Eland FC to move into second place.
Gyeongnam FC defeated Seoul Eland FC 2-1 in the 25th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2 2023 at Mokdong Sports Complex on June 6 at 7 p.m. With the win, Gyeongnam (W41, 39 points) leapfrogged Busan I-Park (W41, 31 points) into second place on goal difference. Seoul Eland (26 points), meanwhile, remained in 11th place after a seven-match winless streak.
The home team started with a 3-5-2 formation. Yoo Jung-wan and Honan started up top. In the midfield, Lee Dong-ryul, Park Chang-hwan, Song Si-woo, Tsubasa, and Seo Bo-min started. The back line consisted of Lee Jae-ik, Lee In-jae, and Kim Min-gyu. In goal was Yoon Bo-sang.
The away team, Gyeongnam, lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Glayson and Won Ki-jong were up front, while Park Min-seo, Song Hong-min, Woo Sung, and Seo Jae-won were in the midfield. In defense, Park Min-seo, Park Jae-hwan, Lee Kang-hee, and Lee Jun-jae held on. Goalkeeper Go Dong-min wore the gloves.
Gyeongnam opened the scoring. In the eighth and ninth minutes of the first half, Won Ki-jong had back-to-back shooting chances but failed to capitalize. Seoul Eland was also disappointed. In the 18th minute, Honan, who was on the doorstep, took over from Lee Dong-ryul’s cross and attempted a header, but it was blocked in front of Go Dong-min.
There was a dizzying scene at the end of the first half. Lee Jae-ik collided with Yoon Bo-sang while blocking an aerial ball during a Gyeongnam free kick. The game was briefly stopped due to pain in the head, but Lee Jae-ik returned to play. The first half ended 0-0 with neither team scoring.
After halftime, both teams entered the second half with substitutions. Gyeongnam brought on Park Jae-hwan and Seo Jae-won, while Castro and Seol Hyun-jin came on. Seoul Eland brought on Kim Won-sik and Cha Seung-hyun in place of Lee Jae-ik and Park Chang-hwan, who were injured earlier.
Seoul Eland swallowed their disappointment. In the 11th minute of the second half, the counterattack began after an aerial ball was cleared near the halfway line. Honan broke through from a long way out and cut it to the flank. Yoo Jung-wan fell down and shot, but the chance went over the crossbar.
The mood was high. Seoul Eland had a chance in the 14th minute of the second half when Kim Won-sik got through Yoo Jung-wan and Song Si-woo before shooting wide. Finally, the balance was broken. It was Gyeongnam who took the lead. In the 20th minute of the second half, Won Ki-jong won the second ball after a contested aerial ball. With a one-on-one opportunity, Won Ki-jong calmly slid it into the opposite post to score.
The gap widened. In the 25th minute, Seol Hyun-jin took a bold shot from the front of the arc. The ball flew like a cannonball and rattled the net for an extra goal 안전놀이터.
Seoul Eland tried to catch up with a lucky goal. In the 42nd minute, Lee Chang-joon’s shot from the danger zone hit Lee Kang-hee’s foot and became an own goal. However, there was not enough time to turn the game around, and the match ended with a 2-1 victory for Gyeongnam.