Jeju United has advanced to the round of 16 at the Korea Cup after edging out Cheonan City FC in a penalty shootout.
Jeju battled to a 2-2 draw in the third round (Round of 24) of the Hana Bank Korea Cup 2024 against Cheonan FC at Jeju World Cup Stadium on Wednesday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m., but came out on top 4-3 in penalty kicks to punch their ticket to the round of 16.
It was Jeju who took the early lead in the match. They pressed forward, proactively cutting off Cheonan FC’s passing lanes and forcing mistakes in their opponents’ buildup. Jeju almost took the lead in the 12th minute when Hayes intercepted a ball from Jang Sung-jae and set up a sharp shot, but the ball left his feet and was blocked by a sliding tackle from defender Ma Sang-hoon. In the 16th minute, Thales again intercepted the ball before slipping a key pass to an incoming Yuri, 온라인카지노 but it came to nothing.
From there, Cheonan FC began to increase their attacking intensity, and Jeju responded with quick counterattacks looking for space in the back. There were a few threatening moments, but neither side could find the back of the net as both teams lacked finishing touches. At the start of the second half, both teams utilized their substitutions. Jeju took off Ji Sang-wook and replaced him with Seo Jin-soo, while Cheonan FC took out three substitutes – Yoon Je-seok, Kim Sung-joon, and Paulinho – as they tried to keep the game close.
Jeju regained the lead in the fourth minute of the second half through a bold shot from Thales. In the seventh minute of the second half, Jeju had to swallow their disappointment when Lee Joo-yong’s shot from the edge of the box went wide of the right post. Cheonan FC, on the other hand, pressured Jeju by dominating possession and utilizing Paulinho’s speed. As Cheonan FC’s offense intensified, Jeju made a change in the 18th minute of the second half, taking off Thales and Kim Gun-woong and replacing them with Jin Sung-wook and Kim Jung-min.
Jeju’s move paid off. In the 22nd minute, Jin Sung-wook was brought down by Ma Sang-hoon’s tackle inside the penalty box, earning a penalty kick foul. Jeju took the lead in the 23rd minute when Hayes, who took over as kicker, finished easily. After conceding a goal, Cheonan FC tried to equalize in the 30th minute with a bold shot from Yoon Jae-seok, but Ahn Chan-gi neutralized it with a super save. After surviving the scare, Jeju made another change in the 31st minute, replacing the injured Han Jong-moo with Kim Jae-min.
As the game neared its conclusion, the two teams fought harder. After conceding the lead, Cheonan FC utilized all of their available cards in search of an equalizer. Jeju tried to stabilize their defense and consolidate instead of pushing forward. It looked like the game was going to end as it was, but in the dying minutes, the score was tied. Cheonan FC’s substitute Yoon Yong-ho scored the equalizer without losing focus on a scoring chance. In the end, the game headed to overtime.
It was Cheonan FC who had the first laugh in the extra time. In the seventh minute of the first overtime, Paulinho, who took the penalty kick, calmly finished the penalty and scored the game-winning goal. After conceding the goal, Jeju switched to a more aggressive offense in the 13th minute of the first half of extra time by replacing Jin Sung-wook with Yeo Hong-gyu. In the 14th minute of extra time, Seo Jin-soo’s right-footed curling kick sailed just over the crossbar to the chagrin of the home fans. In the 15th minute of extra time, Yuri’s header was saved by Je Jong-hyun and Hong Jun-ho’s shot hit the post.
But doors open when you knock. Jeju didn’t let the disappointment set in as Kim Jung-min equalized with a surprise mid-range shot. With momentum on their side, Jeju missed a golden opportunity in the first minute of the second half of stoppage time when Hong Jun-ho, who moved from central defense to frontline striker, saw his right-footed shot go just wide of the left post. Cheonan FC brought on veteran Kim Sung-ju as a substitute to shore up a disorganized lineup as Jeju’s offense intensified.
Cheonan FC had a chance in the 10th minute of the second half of stoppage time, but Paulinho’s decisive shot was saved by goalkeeper Ahn Chan-ki. Jeju’s last-minute baptism of fire was also unsuccessful, and the victory was ultimately decided in penalty kicks. It was Jeju who took the victory. Goalkeeper Ahn Chan-ki saved back-to-back shots from Cheonan FC’s third kicker Shin Hyun-min and fourth kicker Koo Dae-young. Jeju’s fourth kicker Kim Jung-min missed, but Hayes, the final kicker, finished the job to secure the win.