Lee Jung Hyo Magic, Mirrorkle Gwangju
Lee Jung Hyo Magic, Mirrorkle Gwangju
Blog Article
Gwangju FC, a professional soccer team, has achieved the miracle of advancing to the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE). At the center of the reversal drama, which everyone considered impossible, were coach Lee Jung-hyo, the leading scorer in the competition, and veteran player Ju Se-jong.
K-League's provincial and provincial teams advance to the ACLE quarterfinals for the first time
Gwangju won 3-0 against Vissel Kobe (Japan) in the second round of the 2024-2025 ACLE round of 16 at Gwangju World Cup Stadium on the 12th after a bloody battle going to extra time. Gwangju, which lost 0-2 in the first round, turned around with a 3-2 aggregate score and experienced a historic moment of advancing to the quarterfinals of the AFC-hosted tournament for the first time in the K-League city and provincial teams.
At the center of Gwangju's new history is definitely Lee Jung-hyo. Taking the helm of Gwangju for the first time in the second division of the K-League 2, he led a team of young players in his debut season as a pro player, and succeeded in winning the K-League 2 and promoting the team. In the following year, he ranked third, unexpectedly, and even acquired the right to participate in the ACLE. The team was evaluated as a miracle achievement made in an environment where training facilities were poor and running expenses were not sufficient.
"Courage, valor, immersion"…Director Lee Jung-hyo's Leadership
Even ahead of the round of 16 strongest teams at this year's championship, there were strong concerns over Gwangju. Team Korea's core players Lee Hee-kyun, Heo Yul, Lee Kun-hee and Jung Ho-yeon have left the team in the winter transfer market, and thus its power has weakened. Moreover, the opposing team, Vissel Kobe, is the winner of the J-League 1 in 2024.
Amid concerns, Gwangju lost 0-2 in the first round match of the round of 16, making it virtually impossible for the team to advance to the quarterfinals. However, coach Lee Jung-hyo did not give up. Ahead of the second round match, the team presented three keywords for victory, saying, "We need courage, courage, and commitment." "Today was a day where I felt like I could do anything. The players had different eyes and posture," he said after the match.
Manager Lee Jung-hyo's strategy was in perfect harmony. Gwangju overwhelmed its opponents by banking on its strong pressure and possession of the ball through short passes in a showdown with Kobe at home. The team accurately penetrated Kobe's weaknesses, which it identified by losing earlier. Park Jung-in's header goal in the 18th minute of the first half and Asani's penalty goal in the 40th minute of the second half extended the game, and Asani's fantastic mid-range shot in the 13th minute of the second half confirmed its advance to the quarterfinals.
Ronaldo also beat Asani, ACLE's top scorer
The real hero who completed the "Miracle in Gwangju" was Asani. Starting as the right flanker, Asani calmly scored a penalty kick in the 40th minute of the second half to bring the game to square one. In the second half of the extra period, he scored a critical goal with a surprise left-footed mid-range shot that penetrated the gap between the Kobe defenders near the penalty arc.
Asani, who scored his eighth and ninth goals at the Brazil World Cup, is now tying for the top scorer. He has more goals than stars such as Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nasr).
After the match, Asani said, "I proved my capability in Gwangju. I think I am writing history every moment because I advanced to the quarterfinals on my own."
Once again, "Miracle Man" Joo Se-jong
Another protagonist is veteran midfielder Ju Se-jong, who recently joined Gwangju. Ju Se-jong, who joined the team just two weeks ago after his contract with the Daejeon Hana Citizen ended, was substituted in the 33rd minute of the second half. Soon after he stepped on the ground, Gwangju scored two goals in a row to complete a come-from-behind victory.
Ju Se-jong was dubbed the "miracle man" when he helped Son Heung-min score the final goal against Germany at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. "Actually, I thought a lot about whether to talk about the Russia World Cup to the players even before the match," Ju Se-jong said in an interview after the match. "However, the situation was different. At that time, the gap between Korea and Germany was wide during the World Cup, but not between Gwangju and Kobe. I just believed that if the players overcome it, they will have a great experience that cannot be exchanged for money."
The quarterfinal stage in Saudi Arabia will be played against world-class stars 카지노
From the quarterfinals, strong teams in West Asia are expected to face off each other. ACLE will play a single game in Saudi Arabia from April 25 to May 4, breaking down the East and West regions from the quarterfinals. Ju Se-jong sees Gwangju as an opportunity to promote the championship to Asia. "I think we have shown the quality of Gwangju. Whoever comes, it deserves it," Asani said, expressing confidence.