Will Coach Hwang Sun-hong, who missed the Olympics, rebound by staying in the K League 1 in Daejeon in crisis
Will Hwang Sun-hong, head coach of Hana Citizen in Daejeon, be able to rebound his coach's career.
The Korean national soccer team did not participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics. The U-23 national soccer team, which was led by Hwang Sun-hong, was eliminated early in the U-23 Asian Cup, which is a ticket to the Olympics. After former Korean national soccer team coach Jurgen Klinsmann was sacked, there was a vacancy in the leadership position, and the tragedy was completed when Jung Hae-sung, chairman of the Korea Football Association's power reinforcement committee, temporarily took the helm of Hwang, who was leading the U-23 national team, saying he would take responsibility for it. Hwang was unable to concentrate on his main job of leading the U-23 national team, resulting in a shocking result of his failure to participate in the Olympics.
At a time of the biggest crisis in his career when Hwang had no choice but to step down, Daejeon reached out to him once again. Hwang, who took over as the first manager of the "Hana" Citizen in Daejeon in 2020 when the former team joined Hana Bank, left the team after a year without being promoted. On top of that, Hwang's career is on the verge of being suspended due to his failed advance to the Olympics. Hwang, who was on the brink of collapse, now has his last chance. Hwang took the helm at the inauguration ceremony of May 5, saying, "We will save the team in crisis," but as concerns mounted, the situation in Daejeon worsened.
Before Hwang took the helm, Daejeon was ranked 11th, which is in the relegation zone, with three wins, five draws and eight losses and 14 points. It had six points difference with Jeju United, which is ranked sixth in the K League 1 Final A line. However, after Hwang took charge of the team, Daejeon was pushed back to direct demotion.
Hwang, who returned to action in the 17th round match of the K League 1 against the Pohang Steelers on June 15, seemed to be hopeful by leading a 1-1 draw and winning the 18th round match against Gwangju FC 2-1 at Daejeon World Cup Stadium, but that was all. Daejeon has failed to stage a winning spree in the seven matches it has played since. Daejeon ended up adding three more points with three draws and four losses, and is on the verge of spending its long K League 2 days once again. In the nine matches of the K League 1 under Hwang, Daejeon had one win, four draws and four losses.
Daejeon has four wins, nine draws and 12 losses and 21 points. It has four points difference from ninth place Incheon United, which can avoid the relegation playoff. This means that it is too early for Daejeon to give up its stay.
Daejeon's 26th round with Suwon FC has become more important than ever at Suwon Stadium on the 10th. Suwon FC lost 0-1 against Gwangju, while key members such as Lee Seung-woo and Kwon Kyung-won left the summer transfer market, leaving the team. On the contrary, Daejeon strengthened its power by recruiting Kim Moon-hwan, Chun Sung-hoon, Martha, and Bob Shin.