Lee Seung-woo (25) made the transition from striker to midfielder. He made an impact in an unfamiliar position, bringing a smile to coach Kim Do-gyun (46).

Suwon FC won 2-0 in the 25th round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 at Suwon World Cup Stadium on May 5, thanks to a first-half goal from Rath and a wedge goal from Lee Seung-woo.

It was a victory that meant more than three points. Having won all three Suwon derbies this season, Suwon FC proved that they are the true owners of the ‘soccer capital’. Not only did they take home the honors, but they also took home the points. It was their first win in over two months, snapping an eight-match winless streak (2 D, 6 L) and setting the stage for a rebound. Suwon FC hadn’t won since June 3 against Suwon. Back then, it was Suwon who broke the losing streak with a victory, and this time, they used Suwon as a scapegoat to end their long losing streak.

Before the game, coach Kim Do-gyun said, “We will make good use of Rath’s strengths and look forward to Lee Seung-woo’s individual abilities,” and Kim’s wishes were fulfilled. Rath’s header, which utilized his height, opened the scoring, and Lee Seung-woo’s sensational wedge goal sealed the win.

Rath rattled the net in the 27th minute with a header off a corner kick from the right flank by Yoon Mi-Garam. It was a ‘master of the air’ moment. Rath, who has recently faced transfer speculation and attitude controversy, let go of his troubles with this goal. Rath walked up to the Suwon FC supporters’ section and performed a delightful ceremony, swaying his pelvis and clapping his hands as the fans responded with even louder cheers.

Lee Seung-woo then scored an individual goal. In first-half stoppage time, Lee picked up the ball behind the penalty box and faked two opponents into the box before rocking the net with a right-footed shot. It was his fourth goal in the league in three weeks, after scoring against FC Seoul on July 12.

After the game, Lee said in a press conference, “I’m happy to win the Suwon derby at such an important time. The players prepared well during the K-League break and worked hard, and it paid off,” he said. When asked if he was bothered by the low goal total compared to last season, he said, “I was more worried about the team’s poor performance than the goal,” adding, “We will prepare well for the remaining away and home games.”

Coach Kim Do-gyun played Lee Seung-woo in the midfield instead of up front or on the flanks. Rather than his usual “bombing” from the flanks and center, he orchestrated the attack from the midfield and actively participated in the attack whenever the opportunity arose. As time went on, Lee moved freely in the midfield area, causing problems for the Suwon defense.

After the game, coach Kim Do-gyun said, “Lee Seung-woo needs to play with the ball a lot to make good plays,” adding, “He was active in defense as well as offense. Lee Seung-woo, Yoon Beom-garam, and Kim Sun-min played their roles well in the midfield.” “I thought Lee Seung-woo could score an attacking point with his good movement in the first half, but I’m glad he scored a goal in the end.”

“It’s an unfamiliar position. It’s a new position for me and I haven’t played much, so it’s hard, but I’m not doing what I want to do because of our team situation. I have a role that the coach wants me to do and I’m trying to do it well.”

Lee was cautioned early in the first half for a nervous tussle with Suwon’s key midfielder Kazuki. The two got into an argument after a scuffle, with Kazuki pushing Lee in the chest and knocking him to the ground. The situation seemed to be settled afterward, but things escalated when Lee approached Kazuki again and pushed him in the chest. Two minutes later, Lee struck Kazuki in the thigh with his knee while receiving a pass, causing him to fall. The referee immediately showed a yellow card, and Lee strongly protested the decision.

In fact, Lee’s excessive fighting and intentional fouls could have been more of a poison than a boon, especially since he was unnecessarily cautioned so early in the match. However, Lee made up for his early mistake with his skill. When asked about the situation that led to the warning, Lee said, “Kazuki came to Suwon and is doing well and playing an important role. I tried to defend tightly,” he said, adding, “It’s a common scene in soccer.”바카라사이트

Finally, Lee gave some heartfelt advice to the juniors competing at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Lee, who won gold at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, said, “I think I was younger and not as close to my older brothers. I think I was more eager to see (Son) Heung-min, (Hwang) Eui-jo, and others who were wild cards. But now, when I look at the juniors, I can relate to them realistically,” he said. “I’d be lying if I said they weren’t under pressure. There are a lot of things, from the tight schedule to physical fitness to eating,” he said. “But they shouldn’t complain or be unhappy with each other. When things get tough, you have to come together and get through it. That’s how you do well.”