Daegu FC lost a nail-biter to underdog Chungbuk Cheongju FC in extra time.
Daegu lost 1-2 against Chungbuk Cheongju in the third round of the 2024 Hana Bank Korea Cup at DGB Daegu Bank Park at 7 p.m. on Sunday. Fans were disappointed with Daegu’s performance, as the opponent, Chungbuk Cheongju, is currently ranked sixth in the K League 2, 홀덤사이트 and the team was composed mainly of reserve players.
Daegu rested many of their starters and practically fielded a first team lineup. The bench members were used as much as possible to ensure the fitness of the main players, who were tired and suffering from nagging injuries from playing every game.
The injury nightmare resurfaced in this game. With all the foreign players out with injuries, Vaselus, the only foreign player in Daegu’s offense, was brought down by an opponent’s tackle during a breakaway in the 17th minute and had to be stretchered off the field. He was replaced by Bae Su-min.
Daegu was unable to mount much of an attack in the first half as Chungbuk Cheongju’s solid defense held them at bay. In the first minute of first-half stoppage time, Chungbuk Cheongju striker Paulinho scored the first goal.
In the second half, Daegu found its rhythm, especially in the ninth minute, when Yoshino and Kim Jin-hyuk entered the field one after another. Daegu continued to threaten the opponent’s goal as they increased their ball possession. In the 28th minute, Park Jae-hyun’s cross was met with a header by Kim Jin-hyuk, but it narrowly missed the left post. In the 29th minute, the equalizer finally came. Kim Kang-san surprisingly hit a mid-range shot from just outside the penalty box that went into the back of the net.
After that, Daegu threatened the opponent’s goal on several occasions but were unable to convert their chances into goals and had to go into extra time, eventually conceding the winning goal to Chungbuk Cheongju in the second half of the extra time to be eliminated in the first match of the Korean Cup.
The referee’s decision also left something to be desired. The referee rarely blew the whistle for aggressive tackles by Chungbuk Cheongju players, allowing them to harass Daegu players with excessive foul play throughout the match.