K League One Suwon Samsung smiled on Daegu FC in their ‘2023 Hana OneQ FA Cup’ Round of 16 matchup. High school rookie Kim Joo-chan’s professional debut goal propelled Suwon back to the top of the table for the first time in four seasons and a step closer to winning the most titles in its history (six).
Suwon won their FA Cup Round of 안전놀이터 16 match against Daegu 1-0 on Thursday at Suwon World Cup Stadium. With the win, Suwon is now unbeaten in 15 consecutive FA Cup home matches (11 W, 4 D).
It was a matchup of two teams that had been on a recent upswing in form, but many had favored Daegu. While Suwon has found a rebounding element since Kim Byung-soo’s appointment as head coach on March 3, it’s due to poor point harvesting in the league against Jeonbuk Hyundai (0-3 L), Gangwon FC (2-0 W), and Ulsan Hyundai (2-3 L). They are still at the bottom of the K League 1 table (2W, 2D, 10L – 8 points). Daegu, on the other hand, has moved up to sixth place in the K League 1 (5W5D4L-20P) after overcoming tricky opponents such as Pohang Steelers (1-1 draw), Gwangju FC (2-0 win) and Daejeon Hana Citizens (1-0 win) in the same period.
Suwon head coach Kim Byung-soo said, “Our players are losing the ball easily, and our veterans are losing their stamina. We are rebuilding (our tactics) from scratch.” Daegu coach Choi Won-kwon said, “We have the best lineup available. We’re excited to keep two clean sheets in a row.”
Contrary to pre-match expectations, Suwon dominated Gisun. It was 19-year-old rookie Kim Joo-chan who broke the deadlock. In the 27th minute, Min Sang-ki sent a one-touch pass down the right flank, where Kim Bo-kyung received it and headed in a right-footed cross to give Kim the lead. It was his first goal in eight league games and two FA Cup games.
After the goal, Suwon continued to dominate the game. Daegu made several changes in the second half, taking off Kim Young-joon and Serrato in the 20th and 25th minutes respectively, bringing on Sejingya and Edgar, and even goalkeeper Oh Seung-hoon on a set piece in the final minute, but it didn’t change the outcome. Instead, Suwon kept Daegu on their toes throughout the second half and punched their ticket to the quarterfinals.