by Liam Birch at Jeju World Cup Stadium
A moment of excellence, the woodwork and a controversial decision culminated in a 1-0 loss for Daejeon Citizen on a blustery afternoon in Seogwipo.
The visitors, without the injured ChiChi and suspended Ko Chang Hyeun, started brightly, aiming to test a Jeju defense that had conceded five goals in their last home league outing. The hosts looked vulnerable, particularly when attacked from the wing. However, Daejeon , playing Park Sung-Ho as the lone striker rarely threatened in the opening exchanges. That being said, they controlled the first twenty minutes, limiting Jeju to the occasional mazy runs of the Brazilian Jobson.
Chances for both sides were few and far between, with neither goalkeeper seeing much of the action. One notable effort came from Citizen midfielder Kwon Jib who saw his rasping half-volley of thirty yards saved well by the Jeju keeper. The decisive goal came soon after. As the Daejeon defence continued to back off, Kim Young-Shin fired a precise drive from the edge of the area, through the legs of two defenders before nestling into the bottom right hand corner of Choi Eun-Song's goal. It was an excellent effort in a game devoid of any real quality from either team.
The second half started in much the same manner as the first ended, with neither side creating any real chances, bar a moment of brilliance from man of the match Babel. The Brazilian picked up the ball midway inside the Jeju half, took on three defenders before curling his shot against the upright. It was a moment of pure quality that the game was severely lacking in.
The turning point of the game came around the hour mark as Daejeon were denied what seemed to be a legitimate goal. A deep cross was headed on by the Daejeon attacker which the Jeju defender attempted to clear. His header looped up in the air however, and was subsequently converted for what seemed like an excellent equalizer. Unbelievably, the linesman, forgetting the basic rules of the game, called the goal offside. Daejeon players surrounded the referee in protest at the injustice to no avail. It was an outrageous decision and one that Daejeon would not come back from.
From then on out it was Jeju that looked the more likely. Their wingers were finding too much space down the flanks as Citizen pushed forward for an equalizer. Luckily for Daejeon, Jeju failed to convert numerous decent crosses that exposed the Daejeon back four. Towards the end, Choi Eun-Song made an excellent save from long range, pushing the effort around the post as Citizen tired. He again came to the rescue later in the game, this time tipping a vicious effort over the bar.
In all, a draw would have been a fair result, however Daejeon paid the price for adopting an overly defensive approach. The defensive frailties were again evident and a decisive finisher must be a priority for Kim Ho if he is given funds in the summer.
MOM: Babel (the classiest player on the pitch by a long way)
Goal For Us BABEL !! Allez~
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