Three consecutive defeats in a row, a crisis for coach Jung Jung-woon and Gimpo. Can Gimpo turn things around against the rising Suwon Samsung?
Gimpo FC and Suwon Samsung Bluewings will face off in an inevitable clash of fate in the 24th round of the Hana Bank K League 2 2024 at Gimpo Solar Soccer Stadium on September 29 at 7:30 pm. The two teams are currently separated by just three points, and with the difference between qualifying for and missing the playoffs, the matchup will be as intense as ever.
Gimpo currently sits in eighth place with 30 points from eight wins, six draws and eight losses. They are in a slump with three draws and three defeats in their last six matches, and have suffered three consecutive defeats in their last three matches. In the last round of 24, Gimpo suffered a 2-5 defeat to Seoul Eland 온라인카지노사이트 in a match that saw field player Choi Jae-hoon in goal after goalkeeper Son Jung-hyun was sent off.
Without their starting goalkeeper, Son Jeong-hyun, they faced Suwon Samsung, who are in the thick of the promotion race. Coach Choi Jung-woon’s worries are deepening. The challenge for Kim Gimpo and Choi Jung-woon is to turn things around quickly and boost the team’s energy along with the standings.
The good news is that foreign strikers Plana and Luis are still scoring goals. Having strikers who can provide crucial goals means they have a better chance of winning. Gimpo will look to the duo to give them hope.
Gimpo’s most notable addition to the starting lineup is Kwon Seung-bi. A three-back of Park Kyung-rok-Minho Chapman, Ahn Jae-min, Choi Jae-hoon, Kwon Seung-bi, Seo Jae-min, and Lee Hwan-hee in midfield, and Plana and Lewis up front. Lee Sang-wook fills in for Son Jung-hyun, who was sent off in the previous match.
Speaking to reporters before the match, coach Jung Sang-woon talked about how the team recovered from their last loss, saying, “We are in a worse situation than when we lost 1-6 to Gyeongnam two years ago. But we have to overcome these things to grow. It’s a losing streak in a situation where we were competing for the rankings, so I think we have to learn to overcome it wisely.”
“It’s not that the players don’t want to do it. It’s not that they don’t want to do it, it’s just that it’s different from last year, so I told them to be more confident rather than pushing them. I told them to be confident and not to be afraid because it is the amount of activity that can give us an advantage. They have a lot of aggressive players, but they also have foreign players and their defense is not very strong, so I told them to be confident.”
“Last year, if the defense held up, the offense would often solve the problem and win the game, but this year, Plana and Luis are not playing as well as expected, and Bruno doesn’t have an offensive point. We need to improve our offense, and that’s not easy when you have limited funds.”
They are currently on a three-game losing streak. “Any coach knows that losing streaks are not good for the league. If we’re going to the playoffs, losing two in a row is a shock, but losing three in a row is a lot of pressure, but I think it’s important to change the atmosphere and praise the players rather than reprimand them,” he said, explaining how to overcome the losing streak.