Han Seok-jong of Suwon Samsung played a league game for the first time this season. And his first win with his team.
Suwon Samsung defeated Incheon United 1-0 in the 11th round of the ‘Hanawon Q K League 1 2023’ held at the Incheon Soccer Stadium at 4:30 pm on the 5th. This raised expectations for a rebound by winning the game after 11 games.
The goal scored in the first half was the winning goal. In the 30th minute of the first half, a free kick was awarded in front of the penalty arc. Lee Ki-je started as the kicker, and the ball flew sharply and was sucked into the goal. Suwon, who defended well in the second half, became the winner.
On this day, Han Seok-jong stood out in the Suwon starting lineup. The last time he played against Daegu FC was in October last year, and this year he only played one game in the FA Cup. Even though he played for the first time in a long time, he put his strength into the midfield and made a revolutionary contribution to the team’s victory.
Han Seok-jong played full-time against Incheon, recording an 85% pass success rate, 3 successful tackles, 2 successful contests, 3 interceptions, and 5 clearings.
After the game, Seokjong Han was selected as the Distinguished Player. Han Seok-jong, who appeared at the press conference, expressed his feelings, “I got my first victory after waiting so long and I felt like I had a little bit of tears. I am grateful to all the members for getting my first victory that the players wanted so much. I want to say congratulations to myself as well.”
It’s been a long time since I digested a league game, and it was connected to the team’s first win. In response, “I feel like a long time has passed. I didn’t give up and waited steadily. Coach Lee Byeong-geun, who was there before, and acting coach Choi Seong-yong also gave me good words. I was able to. If I could only play once, I wanted to play without regret. Unfortunately, I played against Incheon today and I made sure to prepare. The players helped me, so I think it fit well.”
When asked about his thoughts on the starting competition, he said, “A player with good performance should come out. Since the coach and the coach evaluated and went out, I thought I had to show a performance worthy of participation. I was lacking in that part, and I admitted it myself. I thought about whether I should fill it up. I prepared with the thought, ‘If I could only play once’,” he replied.
Han Seok-jong expressed his gratitude to his colleagues. “I don’t think you can give me points. My teammates helped me a lot. It was my first league game, and I was able to play a good game because ㅋㅋㅋ벳 I talked a lot. I want to give 100 points to our players.”
The first win of the 2023 season was recorded in Incheon, the ‘family team’. Regarding this, “When I arrived at the stadium, I felt strange. It’s always been like this every time I came to Incheon, but today I came after a long time. The grass and the lights after the first half reminded me of the past. It felt like a home game. I felt like a familiar stadium. I did it in, and I think I gained more strength.”
What was the atmosphere like in the locker room after the game? Han Seok-jong said, “Some players said it was awkward. Players who faced the reality said, ‘It’s starting now.’ There were also players who said, ‘Let’s enjoy this moment, only today.’ Today was really good,” he explained.
Finally, regarding the goal, “The coach is new, and the players have to accept all the styles he is pursuing. Although we won one win, it is a difficult situation. The players have to work together to overcome the crisis. It is my personal goal to be able to move in a good direction between the players and the veteran players.”