The Pohang Steelers took the early lead in the Hana Bank K League 1 2024. Under new head coach Park Tae-ha, the team’s performance and results earned them the nickname ‘Taeha Drama’.
However, clouds gathered from the end of July. The team lost six straight matches against Gimcheon Commerce, FC Seoul, Jeonbuk Hyundai, Daegu FC (all 1-2), Ulsan HD (4-5), and Gwangju FC (1-2). Fortunately, the team rebounded with wins against 온라인카지노사이트 Gangwon FC (2-1), Incheon United (1-0), and Suwon FC (1-1).
The six-game losing streak has widened the gap between them and leaders Ulsan (18 wins, 7 draws and 8 losses – 61 points), making Pohang’s chances of winning the title slim. They are still in fourth place (14W, 9D, 1L, 51 points). They can still qualify for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL), where they can finish as high as fifth, and challenge for a second straight Korea Cup. ‘Unsung hero’ Yoon Pyeong-guk (32) was a big part of that.
Yoon was given his chance on June 22 against Gangwon due to the slump of starter Hwang In-jae and the injury of promising youngster Lee Seung-hwan. It had been 819 days since he put on the gloves since June 26, 2022, against Gimcheon (1-1 draw), but he has been on fire, posting a combined save percentage of 77.8% from the Gangwon match to the Incheon-Suwon FC match. It’s a small sample size, but it surpasses the league’s top two goalkeepers, Cho Hyun-woo (Ulsan – 72.9%) and Lee Chang-geun (Daejeon Hana Citizens – 70.4%). “It was a long break, but I continued to prepare hard. I analyzed my opponents constantly, and I think I got lucky,” he said, reflecting on the last three matches.
The 2024 season has just begun. Yoon Pyeong-guk is a talented goalkeeper who won the K League 2 Best 11 Goalkeeper award in 2019 while wearing the Gwangju jersey, but he has had a long and difficult time with a finger injury since joining Pohang in 2022. “It was hard for me to get a chance because (Hwang) In-jae performed well while I was injured. There were many games this season where I didn’t get to sit on the bench,” he said, adding, ”If it wasn’t for the comfort and encouragement of my brother Shin Kwang-hoon, the best player in the team, I wouldn’t have been able to hold on.”
Looking ahead. “The coach personally thanked me after the win, and I was happy that I played a big role in the team’s six-game winning streak,” Yoon said, adding, ”We still have Ulsan and the Korea Cup final. I will lead the team to win the Korea Cup with my own strength.” In conclusion, he said, ”I have played 101 games in the K League, but I have yet to play a season as a solid starter in the K League 1. I am confident that I am competitive, so my ultimate goal is to be a starter in the K League 1 for a long time,” he said.