Jung Kyung-ho, Kangwon FC Coach/Korea Professional Football League
[MyDaily = Seoul World Cup Stadium, Reporter Choi Byung-jin] Coach Jung Kyung-ho of Kangwon FC picked up a 'megaphone.'
Kangwon suffered a 2-4 defeat against FC Seoul in the 'Hana Bank K League 1 2025' round 34 match held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 26th.
This comeback loss was a shock for Kangwon. From the first half, Kangwon applied strong forward pressure, making it difficult for Seoul to develop their attacks. At the same time, they seized the initiative by targeting Seoul with an organic build-up pattern. As a result, Kim Gun-hee scored in the first half, and Mo Jae-hyun added another goal with a penalty kick (PK) at the start of the second half.
However, starting from the 27th minute of the second half, Kangwon conceded three goals in just seven minutes, leading to their collapse. Lingard scored multiple goals, followed by Ryu Jae-moon's comeback goal, and Chun Sung-hoon sealed the victory with a decisive goal in the final moments.
After the match, Kangwon's away fans handed a megaphone to Coach Jung. This was not solely due to the comeback loss against Seoul.
Recently, Kangwon's performance in the first and second halves has been markedly different. In the first half, Coach Jung's 'game model' operates effectively, overwhelming the opponent. However, they collapse dramatically in the second half.
Kangwon FC/Korea Professional Football League
In the match against FC Anyang (Round 32), Kangwon, leading 1-0, conceded an equalizer in the final moments of the second half. In the following match against Daegu FC, a 2-0 lead turned into a 2-2 draw. In the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) match against Vissel Kobe, a 3-0 first-half lead ended in a 3-3 draw in the second half. Although they secured a victory with Kim Gun-hee's goal in extra time, the 'anxiety' grew, culminating in a disappointing comeback loss against Seoul.
Kangwon fans expressed their frustration at these performances, and Coach Jung stood before the fans with a megaphone to apologize. In the post-match press conference, Coach Jung stated, "I think the fans feel the same way. They must be more disappointed than us. They've always told us to push harder in the second half. I don't intend to avoid responsibility. It's a valid point, and I aim to improve."
While addressing the second-half improvement is a clear task, opinions are divided on the 'megaphone' given to Coach Jung. Last season, Kangwon unexpectedly finished as runners-up and entered Final A for two consecutive years. They are currently third in the ACLE with 6 points from 2 wins and 1 loss. A K League official questioned, "Considering Kangwon's performance and the club's scale, isn't this criticism excessive?"
Jung Kyung-ho, Kangwon FC Coach/Korea Professional Football League
In fact, the factor that allowed Seoul to turn the game around was the quality of their substitute players. Especially this season, foreign players have been a weakness for Kangwon, and this game was no exception. While Lingard played the role of 'game changer,' Kangwon had no foreign players on the bench due to Gabriel's suspension from accumulated yellow cards. This raises the question of whether achieving good results with a predominantly domestic squad is commendable. A previously mentioned official added, "Moreover, isn't this Coach Jung's first official season as head coach?" While improving second-half management and substitute 're-substitution' are tasks for Coach Jung, a realistic perspective is also necessary.
Coach Jung also shared his complex feelings. "I am really losing sleep to analyze the opponents," he said, emphasizing, "Looking at our historical performance, we were runners-up last year and reached Final A this year. There is no doubt about our growth. The same goes for me as a coach." He continued, "I fully understand that fans want higher achievements and better performances. I will definitely improve the second-half situations. Now is the time to unite our efforts," he urged for support.