‘Fallen Famous’ Suwon loses 5 straight games…coach Yi Ki-hoon resigns
Ki-hoon Yeom, the head coach of Suwon Samsung in the K League Two (2), has stepped down after taking responsibility for the club’s poor performance.
Suwon announced on Friday that head coach Yeom Ki-hoon resigned after the team’s home match against Seoul Eland. Suwon suffered a 1-3 home defeat in the 15th round of the regular season against Seoul Eland FC at Suwon World Cup Stadium. According to the club, Yeom requested a meeting with head coach Park Kyung-hoon after the loss, at which time he delivered his resignation. The club decided to accept it.
Afterward, Yeom went to the supporters who blocked the team bus and said his final goodbyes. “I’ve received a lot of love and criticism since I came to Suwon, but I’ve always been grateful,” he said, “and I hope you’ll give our players even more support now.” Yeom is a former star player who spent his prime in Suwon. He played 13 seasons for Suwon, scoring 49 goals and 87 assists in 333 games. Last year, the former playing coach made his coaching debut as acting head coach after the club sacked underperforming head coach Kim Byung-soo. However, Suwon suffered its first relegation in its history.
Suwon vowed to win promotion to the top flight when Dye took over as head coach this season. However, after a four-game winning streak, Suwon slumped to its fifth consecutive defeat after drawing 1-1 with Gyeongnam FC on March 28. The once-leading team dropped to sixth place (19 points) with the loss. They are even further away from the title. The gap between them and first-place Anyang (27 points) is eight points.
In K-League 1, defending champions Ulsan HD returned to the top of the table with a 4-1 victory over last-place Daejeon Hana Citizens, who were without a manager. With their first win in four games, Ulsan amassed 26 points to leapfrog Pohang Steelers and Gimcheon Sangmu, who each drew on the day, from third to first. Daejeon, who have played five 토토 games (two draws and three losses) without a win, remain in last place (11 points).
The “Kim Ki-dong Derby” between Pohang and FC Seoul at Pohang Steelyard ended in a 2-2 draw. Seoul head coach Kim Ki-dong coached Pohang until last season, but left the club ahead of this season. With 26 points, Pohang dropped to second place, while Seoul remained in eighth place (16 points). Seoul striker Jesse Lingard (England), a former Manchester United player, started for the second straight game after returning from injury, his first full-time appearance in the K League.
Gimcheon played a goalless draw away to Jeonbuk Hyundai. Gimcheon’s nine-match unbeaten streak continues and they sit in third place with 25 points. Jeonbuk had to settle for 14 points, but still moved up from 11th to 9th in the standings. Incheon United drew 1-1 with Gwangju FC. Incheon (18 points) remains in sixth place, while Gwangju (16 points) is in seventh.