Daejeon Citizen will play Seongnam Ilhwa for a place in this years FA Cup final. Daejeon will be happy to have home advantage, whilst the draw still creates the possibility of a mouthwatering final against rivals Suwon.
The game will take place at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on 7th October.
Wednesday, 9 September 2009
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Pohang Steelers 2 - 2 Daejeon Citizen
By Liam Birch at Pohang Steelyard Stadium
Daejeon Citizen almost brought Pohang Steelers impressive unbeaten K-League run to an end on Sunday, only to be denied by a last gasp equalizer from the hosts.
Daejeon were twice ahead in this encounter and looked like taking a very unlikely three points, however, Pohang's intricate passing and the constant threat of their forward line ultimately ensured that the Steelers retain their unbeaten record.
Pohang, fielding two ex-Daejeon favourites in Kim Hyeong Il and Denilson, looked to have taken the lead after just two minutes. A cross from the left wasn't dealt with by the Citizen defence and the ball was bundled home by the Pohang attacker. The hosts' celebrations were short lived however as the linesman on the far side had ruled the goal offside.
Daejeon may well have expected ongoing pressure from Pohang but it was in fact Daejeon who took the lead on 13 minutes. Brazilian Ale, playing in place of the suspended Stevan Racic, played a beautiful ball into the box from the left which was met by the head of the totally unmarked Park Sung-Ho to give Daejeon a shock lead.
The pace of former Citizen striker Denilson, now 33, was causing all sorts of problems for the Daejeon back line and he almost levelled soon after. He was played in by a long ball and used his pace to get past the defender before shooting on the half volley. Luckily for Citizen however, trusty goalkeeper Choi Eun Sung managed to tip the ball around the near post.
Pohang again came close midway through the first half with an effort that free-kick specialist Ko Chang-Hyeon would have been proud of. Again, luckily for Citizen, with Choi well beaten, the ball flew back off the right hand post. Choi was called into action once again moments later as Denilson found himself free of the last defender, only to see his effort superbly stopped by the legs of the veteran goalkeeper.
Pohang did get the equalizer that they probably just about deserved just before the stroke of half time. Daejeon will be concerned that the Pohang attacker was left completely unmarked to head home and level up the scores.
Still, Daejeon fans went for the half time break more than satisfied and they had plenty to cheer about in the second half too.
Daejeon fans were particularly expectant about the substitute arrival of Ko Chang Hyeon and it took only minutes for him to deliver. His free kick from far out on the left hand side caused havoc in the Pohang defence, missing everyone only to be palmed away by the goalkeeper onto the diving head of the onrushing Daejeon midfielder who headed home to regain the lead for Citizen.
Daejeon supporters were ecstatic at once again shocking the hosts and they continued to defend bravely. Particularly, a last gasp clearance off the line when Choi was beaten denied Kim Hyeong Il a goal against his former club.
Brazilian Valber, who has been the best performer for Daejeon in recent weeks will be having nightmares however at his glaring miss that would have sealed the three points for Citizen. Ko Chang Hyeon's cross from the right left Valber completely unmarked only 6 yards out but he somehow managed to fire his effort wide of the post. It was agonizing for the travelling supporters and would be more so given Pohang's late equalizer.
Daejeon had defended so well but they were again outdone by a set piece that wasn't properly dealt with. A Pohang corner wasn't dealt with again and the header out fell onto the boot of the Pohang forward who fired home his second of the game to break Daejeon hearts.
Daejeon can be very proud of their display and by comments made in the local media, they pulled off a shock by even getting a draw. Daejeon now have a break next week until they continue their push for a playoff place against Jeju the following week.
MOTM: Woo Sung Je
Daejeon Citizen almost brought Pohang Steelers impressive unbeaten K-League run to an end on Sunday, only to be denied by a last gasp equalizer from the hosts.
Daejeon were twice ahead in this encounter and looked like taking a very unlikely three points, however, Pohang's intricate passing and the constant threat of their forward line ultimately ensured that the Steelers retain their unbeaten record.
Pohang, fielding two ex-Daejeon favourites in Kim Hyeong Il and Denilson, looked to have taken the lead after just two minutes. A cross from the left wasn't dealt with by the Citizen defence and the ball was bundled home by the Pohang attacker. The hosts' celebrations were short lived however as the linesman on the far side had ruled the goal offside.
Daejeon may well have expected ongoing pressure from Pohang but it was in fact Daejeon who took the lead on 13 minutes. Brazilian Ale, playing in place of the suspended Stevan Racic, played a beautiful ball into the box from the left which was met by the head of the totally unmarked Park Sung-Ho to give Daejeon a shock lead.
The pace of former Citizen striker Denilson, now 33, was causing all sorts of problems for the Daejeon back line and he almost levelled soon after. He was played in by a long ball and used his pace to get past the defender before shooting on the half volley. Luckily for Citizen however, trusty goalkeeper Choi Eun Sung managed to tip the ball around the near post.
Pohang again came close midway through the first half with an effort that free-kick specialist Ko Chang-Hyeon would have been proud of. Again, luckily for Citizen, with Choi well beaten, the ball flew back off the right hand post. Choi was called into action once again moments later as Denilson found himself free of the last defender, only to see his effort superbly stopped by the legs of the veteran goalkeeper.
Pohang did get the equalizer that they probably just about deserved just before the stroke of half time. Daejeon will be concerned that the Pohang attacker was left completely unmarked to head home and level up the scores.
Still, Daejeon fans went for the half time break more than satisfied and they had plenty to cheer about in the second half too.
Daejeon fans were particularly expectant about the substitute arrival of Ko Chang Hyeon and it took only minutes for him to deliver. His free kick from far out on the left hand side caused havoc in the Pohang defence, missing everyone only to be palmed away by the goalkeeper onto the diving head of the onrushing Daejeon midfielder who headed home to regain the lead for Citizen.
Daejeon supporters were ecstatic at once again shocking the hosts and they continued to defend bravely. Particularly, a last gasp clearance off the line when Choi was beaten denied Kim Hyeong Il a goal against his former club.
Brazilian Valber, who has been the best performer for Daejeon in recent weeks will be having nightmares however at his glaring miss that would have sealed the three points for Citizen. Ko Chang Hyeon's cross from the right left Valber completely unmarked only 6 yards out but he somehow managed to fire his effort wide of the post. It was agonizing for the travelling supporters and would be more so given Pohang's late equalizer.
Daejeon had defended so well but they were again outdone by a set piece that wasn't properly dealt with. A Pohang corner wasn't dealt with again and the header out fell onto the boot of the Pohang forward who fired home his second of the game to break Daejeon hearts.
Daejeon can be very proud of their display and by comments made in the local media, they pulled off a shock by even getting a draw. Daejeon now have a break next week until they continue their push for a playoff place against Jeju the following week.
MOTM: Woo Sung Je
Tuesday, 1 September 2009
Daejeon Citizen 0 -2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
by Liam Birch at Daejeon World Cup Stadium
Daejeon put up a valiant effort against high flying Jeonbuk before falling to two second half goals from Lee Dong-Guk and former Citizen favourite Brasilia.
Daejeon, riding on the back of two excellent victories over Ulsan and Seongnam, started brightly. Stevan Racic, who impressed in the game at Seongnam was partnering Park Sung-Ho in attack with Valber playing just behind. Key man Ko Chang-Hyeon was missing through suspension however Daejeon didn't seem to be missing him as they took the game to Jeonbuk.
In fact, it was Daejeon who created the first real chance of the game. A cross from the right was only headed up by the Jeonbuk defender straight into the path of Stevan Racic, who from 6 yards out, should have buried his header. Instead, his header was too close to the keeper who produced a decent save to tip it around the post.
Valber was instrumental in the midfielder and had two long range efforts test the Jeonbuk keeper. The first, fired just past the post whilst the second forced the save from the grateful Jeonbuk keeper.
Daejeon almost took the lead from a free kick that Racic initially looked like firing but instead left it to Kwon Jib who curled the ball over the wall but saw his effort well saved by the Jeonbuk keeper.
Jeonbuk only really threatened briefly during a first half completely dominated by Citizen. Choi Eun Song had very little to do in the Daejeon goal. At the opposite end however, the Jeonbuk keeper was having a great game. Daejeon came close again towards the end of the half when Valber produced a beautiful touch to break through the Jeonbuk midfield before angling in a teasing cross which Racic should have anticipated better.
There was still time for Daejeon to produce one more save from the Jeonbuk keeper as just before half time, the ball fell to Park Sung-Ho on the near post who powered a half volley towards the top corner which the keeper did amazingly well not just to save but to hold.
Hopes were high amongst the Citizen supporters at half time but danger signs were evident from the restart. Jeonbuk punted a long ball from midfield that sailed over the Daejeon defenders and was somehow volleyed over the bar by the Jeonbuk attacker.
Citizen were denied a clear penalty kick just before the hour mark when, after after initially shooting straight at the Jeonbuk goalkeeper, the Daejeon forward was clearly pulled down by the Jeonbuk defender. Somewhat bizarrely, the referee gave the foul in favour of Jeonbuk and Daejeon were denied what looked a stonewall penalty.
Soon after, Daejeon almost fell behind. Jeonbuk attacked down the right before threading the ball through to Lee Dong-Guk on the edge of the area who beautifully chipped the ball over Choi, only to see his effort bounce back off the bar and into the hands of the grateful Choi.
Not to be outdone, Daejeon would also hit the woodwork. A delightful interchange in midfield led to substitute Ale running clear on goal, only to see his effort brilliantly saved by the Jeonbuk keeper onto the post. It was agonisingly close and had the keeper not been having the game of his life, Citizen would have taken the lead.
Alas, it was Jeonbuk who finally broke the deadlock. A break from midfield left the Daejeon defence exposed. A delightful cross from the right found Lee Dong-Guk who expertly chested the ball down before smashing it into the top left corner.
From then out, there was only going to be one winner, with Choi Eun Song making a number of impressive saves. That said, Brazilian Ale again staked his claim for a place in the starting eleven with an excellent strike from the edge of the area that was again saved brilliantly by the Jeonbuk number one.
The final goal came soon after. Former Daejeon forward Brasilia was allowed acres of space to come 40 yards unchallenged before unleashing a thunderbolt into the top left corner, giving Choi absolutely no chance.
Daejeon can be pleased with the way that they performed against one of the top sides in the league. However, it was a game that showed that in the K-League, a pair of top class strikers can easily make the difference between mid-table and championship contenders. Since the departures of Denilson, Chuva and Brasilia almost two years ago, Daejeon have failed to bring in that sort of talent in forward positions. A win on Sunday at Pohang is now vital if Daejeon are to make anything of this season.
MOM: Valber
Daejeon put up a valiant effort against high flying Jeonbuk before falling to two second half goals from Lee Dong-Guk and former Citizen favourite Brasilia.
Daejeon, riding on the back of two excellent victories over Ulsan and Seongnam, started brightly. Stevan Racic, who impressed in the game at Seongnam was partnering Park Sung-Ho in attack with Valber playing just behind. Key man Ko Chang-Hyeon was missing through suspension however Daejeon didn't seem to be missing him as they took the game to Jeonbuk.
In fact, it was Daejeon who created the first real chance of the game. A cross from the right was only headed up by the Jeonbuk defender straight into the path of Stevan Racic, who from 6 yards out, should have buried his header. Instead, his header was too close to the keeper who produced a decent save to tip it around the post.
Valber was instrumental in the midfielder and had two long range efforts test the Jeonbuk keeper. The first, fired just past the post whilst the second forced the save from the grateful Jeonbuk keeper.
Daejeon almost took the lead from a free kick that Racic initially looked like firing but instead left it to Kwon Jib who curled the ball over the wall but saw his effort well saved by the Jeonbuk keeper.
Jeonbuk only really threatened briefly during a first half completely dominated by Citizen. Choi Eun Song had very little to do in the Daejeon goal. At the opposite end however, the Jeonbuk keeper was having a great game. Daejeon came close again towards the end of the half when Valber produced a beautiful touch to break through the Jeonbuk midfield before angling in a teasing cross which Racic should have anticipated better.
There was still time for Daejeon to produce one more save from the Jeonbuk keeper as just before half time, the ball fell to Park Sung-Ho on the near post who powered a half volley towards the top corner which the keeper did amazingly well not just to save but to hold.
Hopes were high amongst the Citizen supporters at half time but danger signs were evident from the restart. Jeonbuk punted a long ball from midfield that sailed over the Daejeon defenders and was somehow volleyed over the bar by the Jeonbuk attacker.
Citizen were denied a clear penalty kick just before the hour mark when, after after initially shooting straight at the Jeonbuk goalkeeper, the Daejeon forward was clearly pulled down by the Jeonbuk defender. Somewhat bizarrely, the referee gave the foul in favour of Jeonbuk and Daejeon were denied what looked a stonewall penalty.
Soon after, Daejeon almost fell behind. Jeonbuk attacked down the right before threading the ball through to Lee Dong-Guk on the edge of the area who beautifully chipped the ball over Choi, only to see his effort bounce back off the bar and into the hands of the grateful Choi.
Not to be outdone, Daejeon would also hit the woodwork. A delightful interchange in midfield led to substitute Ale running clear on goal, only to see his effort brilliantly saved by the Jeonbuk keeper onto the post. It was agonisingly close and had the keeper not been having the game of his life, Citizen would have taken the lead.
Alas, it was Jeonbuk who finally broke the deadlock. A break from midfield left the Daejeon defence exposed. A delightful cross from the right found Lee Dong-Guk who expertly chested the ball down before smashing it into the top left corner.
From then out, there was only going to be one winner, with Choi Eun Song making a number of impressive saves. That said, Brazilian Ale again staked his claim for a place in the starting eleven with an excellent strike from the edge of the area that was again saved brilliantly by the Jeonbuk number one.
The final goal came soon after. Former Daejeon forward Brasilia was allowed acres of space to come 40 yards unchallenged before unleashing a thunderbolt into the top left corner, giving Choi absolutely no chance.
Daejeon can be pleased with the way that they performed against one of the top sides in the league. However, it was a game that showed that in the K-League, a pair of top class strikers can easily make the difference between mid-table and championship contenders. Since the departures of Denilson, Chuva and Brasilia almost two years ago, Daejeon have failed to bring in that sort of talent in forward positions. A win on Sunday at Pohang is now vital if Daejeon are to make anything of this season.
MOM: Valber
Monday, 24 August 2009
Seongnam Ilhwa 1 - 2 Daejeon Citizen
by Liam Birch at Seongnam Moran Stadium
Daejeon Citizen produced an assured display to register an impressive win over multi-time K-League champions Seongnam on Sunday.
The game, played on the same day as the funeral for former president Kim Dae-Jung, had a largely subdued atmosphere, enhanced by both sets of fans agreeing to not cheer during the first half. The atmosphere seemed to translate on to the pitch, with very few notable efforts from either side. Daejeon, coming off the back of victory over Ulsan, looked comfortable with anything the Seongnam attack threw at them. Seongnam looked sloppy from open play, and rarely threatened from set pieces, particularly against a strong and confident Daejeon defence which dealt with corners and free kicks with ease.
The crowd were awoken from their slumber when on 37 minutes, Kim Han Seob was fed in by a delightful through ball and calmly side footed past the Seongnam keeper. It was no more than Daejeon deserved after a composed first 45 minutes.
As the second half began, and the noise level was raised from the fans, so too the pace of the game quickened. Daejeon again looked dangerous on the break with Seongnam seemingly happy to play the long ball game. The key moment came just before the hour mark when Daejeon won a free kick in a dangerous area. All eyes turned to the sidelines as Ko Chang-Hyeon made his long awaited return from injury. With his first touch of the game, he curled a superb free kick over the Seongnam wall and into the net for his 9th goal of the season. Citizen fans are quickly running out of superlatives to describe this man's free kicks.
Just as things looked comfortable for Citizen, true to form, they conceded just three minutes later from a looping header by Seongnam's Cho. Far from the onslaught expected however, Daejeon regained composure to see out the game and register back to back victories. Much credit must be given to manager Wang Seon Jae who has turned Daejeon from basement boys to real challengers for the playoffs.
Daejeon will look to make it three wins in three at home against Jeonbuk next Sunday.
MOM: Valber
Daejeon Citizen produced an assured display to register an impressive win over multi-time K-League champions Seongnam on Sunday.
The game, played on the same day as the funeral for former president Kim Dae-Jung, had a largely subdued atmosphere, enhanced by both sets of fans agreeing to not cheer during the first half. The atmosphere seemed to translate on to the pitch, with very few notable efforts from either side. Daejeon, coming off the back of victory over Ulsan, looked comfortable with anything the Seongnam attack threw at them. Seongnam looked sloppy from open play, and rarely threatened from set pieces, particularly against a strong and confident Daejeon defence which dealt with corners and free kicks with ease.
The crowd were awoken from their slumber when on 37 minutes, Kim Han Seob was fed in by a delightful through ball and calmly side footed past the Seongnam keeper. It was no more than Daejeon deserved after a composed first 45 minutes.
As the second half began, and the noise level was raised from the fans, so too the pace of the game quickened. Daejeon again looked dangerous on the break with Seongnam seemingly happy to play the long ball game. The key moment came just before the hour mark when Daejeon won a free kick in a dangerous area. All eyes turned to the sidelines as Ko Chang-Hyeon made his long awaited return from injury. With his first touch of the game, he curled a superb free kick over the Seongnam wall and into the net for his 9th goal of the season. Citizen fans are quickly running out of superlatives to describe this man's free kicks.
Just as things looked comfortable for Citizen, true to form, they conceded just three minutes later from a looping header by Seongnam's Cho. Far from the onslaught expected however, Daejeon regained composure to see out the game and register back to back victories. Much credit must be given to manager Wang Seon Jae who has turned Daejeon from basement boys to real challengers for the playoffs.
Daejeon will look to make it three wins in three at home against Jeonbuk next Sunday.
MOM: Valber
Monday, 17 August 2009
Daejeon Citizen 1 - 0 Ulsan Horang-i
by Liam Birch at Daejeon World Cup Stadium
Daejeon Citizen scored a dramatic late goal to register their first victory over Ulsan for five years on Saturday.
In a game where Daejeon created few clear cut chances, it took a moment of skill from defender Hwang Ji-Yoon from an 87th minute corner to take all three points. Ulsan, themselves having a sub-par season, will feel that they did at least enough to come away with a point from the Purple Arena, and perhaps should have, given the chances they created.
Daejeon had veteran goalkeeper Choi Eun Song to thank for a string excellent saves which highlighted that at the age of 38, he is still one of the most important players in the squad. He was first called into action midway in the first half where an Ulsan through ball left the striker in a one-on-one situation, which Choi did excellently to save with his trailing leg.
Daejeon were mostly restricted to long-range efforts, first from the returning Valber, whose grass-cutting effort was easily saved by the Ulsan keeper, a man who has a lot of previous history with the Citizen fans following his antics in the 2007 playoff game.
Woo Sung-Je, ever lively in attack almost tested the Ulsan keeper towards the end of the half. Cutting inside from the right, his attempted curler into the top right hand corner sailed just over the bar. The fact that this attempt was one of the highlights of the half is testament to the lack of chances created by either side in the first period.
The second half was more of the same, with Ulsan definitely looking the more threatening. Park Sung-Ho toiled away up front, but with just five goals to his name this season, he was never in danger of adding to that tally.
Ulsan however, looked a far more dangerous prospect with former Daejeon man Kim Young-Tae causing problems down the right. It was his cross that almost resulted in a goal. Fortunately for Daejeon, the resulting header looped over the bar.
Daejeon needed to change things around and the introduction of Racic provided just that. It was Racic that won a free kick on the edge of the area after being jumped over by the Ulsan defender. Racic picked himself up before firing a thunderous drive that deflected off the wall and out for a Daejeon corner.
From the resulting corner, Hwang Ji-Yoon put Daejeon ahead. The low corner didn't look like beating the far post until Hwang volleyed home on 87 minutes.
There was still time for Ulsan to almost equalize twice however. First, a header back across Choi's goal was excellently stopped by the keeper. As Ulsan launched a final assault, panic ensued in the area until the ball ran to the Ulsan striker who found himself through on goal. Fortunately for Citizen, Choi dived at his feet to smother the ball in injury time to ensure Daejeon picked up their fourth win of the season.
MOTM: Choi Eun-Song
Daejeon Citizen scored a dramatic late goal to register their first victory over Ulsan for five years on Saturday.
In a game where Daejeon created few clear cut chances, it took a moment of skill from defender Hwang Ji-Yoon from an 87th minute corner to take all three points. Ulsan, themselves having a sub-par season, will feel that they did at least enough to come away with a point from the Purple Arena, and perhaps should have, given the chances they created.
Daejeon had veteran goalkeeper Choi Eun Song to thank for a string excellent saves which highlighted that at the age of 38, he is still one of the most important players in the squad. He was first called into action midway in the first half where an Ulsan through ball left the striker in a one-on-one situation, which Choi did excellently to save with his trailing leg.
Daejeon were mostly restricted to long-range efforts, first from the returning Valber, whose grass-cutting effort was easily saved by the Ulsan keeper, a man who has a lot of previous history with the Citizen fans following his antics in the 2007 playoff game.
Woo Sung-Je, ever lively in attack almost tested the Ulsan keeper towards the end of the half. Cutting inside from the right, his attempted curler into the top right hand corner sailed just over the bar. The fact that this attempt was one of the highlights of the half is testament to the lack of chances created by either side in the first period.
The second half was more of the same, with Ulsan definitely looking the more threatening. Park Sung-Ho toiled away up front, but with just five goals to his name this season, he was never in danger of adding to that tally.
Ulsan however, looked a far more dangerous prospect with former Daejeon man Kim Young-Tae causing problems down the right. It was his cross that almost resulted in a goal. Fortunately for Daejeon, the resulting header looped over the bar.
Daejeon needed to change things around and the introduction of Racic provided just that. It was Racic that won a free kick on the edge of the area after being jumped over by the Ulsan defender. Racic picked himself up before firing a thunderous drive that deflected off the wall and out for a Daejeon corner.
From the resulting corner, Hwang Ji-Yoon put Daejeon ahead. The low corner didn't look like beating the far post until Hwang volleyed home on 87 minutes.
There was still time for Ulsan to almost equalize twice however. First, a header back across Choi's goal was excellently stopped by the keeper. As Ulsan launched a final assault, panic ensued in the area until the ball ran to the Ulsan striker who found himself through on goal. Fortunately for Citizen, Choi dived at his feet to smother the ball in injury time to ensure Daejeon picked up their fourth win of the season.
MOTM: Choi Eun-Song
Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Daejeon Sign New Brazilian Midfielder
by Liam Birch
Daejeon Citizen have today announced the new signing of Brazilian midfielder Alexandre.
Daejeon Citizen have today announced the new signing of Brazilian midfielder Alexandre.
The former Figueirense man is expected to make his debut against Daegu on Saturday.
Bore Draw as Gyeongnam hold Daejeon
by Liam Birch at Daejeon World Cup Stadium
An incredibly frustrating game ended in a goalless draw as Gyeongnam held Daejeon at home this last Saturday. In one of the worst games in the history of football, neither side created anything of note in what was a truly dire affair.
Temporary coach Wang gave a first start to Serbian forward Racic, who partnered Park Sung-Ho in the Daejeon attack. This move clearly backfired however, as both players struggled with lack of pace and creative flair.
Daejeon are still without Valber and Ko Chang Hyeon, and it is no coincidence that Citizen have failed to score in the two matches they have missed. It is unlikely that either will feature for the trip to basement club Daegu on Saturday, who will see the game as the ideal opportunity to register only their second win of the season.
The travelling Citizen fans will hope for much better than the diabolical display they saw on Saturday.
MOM: Choi Eun Song
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