East Asian football weekends are becoming a routine, and that’s a positive phenomenon in the slowly awakening football world.
K League’s second matchday resumed today (Sunday), and again produced some attractive football games.
Suwon Samsung Bluewings v Ulsan Hyundai 2-3
If you want to know how to come back from a 2-0 deficit, ask Ulsan Hyundai head coach Kim Do-hoon. A five-goal thriller with several brilliant goals at Suwon World Cup Stadium was undoubtedly the best match of the second matchday.
First to fire was Suwon. Right before the end of the first half, midfielder Ko Seung-beom gave Suwon the lead with a brilliant right-footed knuckle shot from a long-range. World Cup hero Cho Hyun-woo couldn’t even get his hand on the ball. Suwon’s excellent performance shined in the second half as well. Bosnian outfit Sulejman Krpic extended the lead in the 47th minute with a fine header followed by Han Eui-kwon’s cross. It was his first goal for Suwon.
Then, Ulsan began their party, and without a doubt, Junior Negrao was the man again. The Brazilian beat four Suwon defenders with his footwork and his right-footed shot passed No Dong-geon and went in. Kim In-sung’s scored the eqaulizer in the 61st minute, when Suwon defender Lee Jong-song tried to control Kim Tae-hwan’s cross with his chest but couldn’t keep it. Kim nicely stole the ball from Lee and put it where it belongs.
Exactly like their opening match, Junior Negrao became Ulsan’s hero again. At the very last minute, the Brazilian confidently sent the ball under the wall which deceived No Dong-geon and went in. Junior is on fire, this being his second brace in two consecutive matches, placing him at the top of the league’s scorers’ table. Ulsan extended their winning streak to two victories, while Suwon suffered from their second league defeat, in what is starting to seem like a hugely disappointing start for the season.
FC Seoul v Gwangju FC 1-0
Two teams who lost in their first games were up for the second matchday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Both sides made some changes from the last match. Seoul has put Adriano on top over Aleksandar Pesic and Park Dong-jin, while Gwangju dropped down former Costa Rican international Marco Urena to the bench.
The match was mostly Seoul-dominated, but fans had to wait for 64 minutes to see the first and only goal of the game. Han Chan-hee, who joined FC Seoul from Jeonnam Dragons in winter, gave the hosts a lead with a reliable contact at the penalty arc. Gwangju will wait another week for a chance to get their first point of the season.
During the game, FC Seoul’s mannequin supporters, which were positioned in the stand, were starting to trend in football media worldwide. Same reactions erupted when in Belarus and Taiwan there were similar gestures of carton figures in the terraces, as it seems that football fans are now more familiar with this kind of acts. What made the difference in this game was a suspicion that those mannequins were actually ‘sex dolls.’ The name of the manufacturer was printed on signs held by the mannequins, and synthetic lovers are what that company is famous for.
FC Seoul has officially apologized for the incident, but it was just simply burrying their head in the sand. Reactions from fans and media, regardless of their affiliation, strongly opposed Seoul’s statement.
Other notable results
K League 1
Seongnam FC 0-0 Incheon United
K League 2
Seoul E-Land 2-2 Gyeongnam FC
Daejeon Hana Citizen 2-2 Chungnam Asan FC
Taiwan Football Premier League
Taichung FUTURO 4-0 Red Lions
NTUS 2-1 Taipower
Taiwan Steel 0-1 Hang Yuen
Ming Chuan 1-4 Tatung
