Next year, we should try to go even higher.”
This was the determination of ‘Captain’ Joo Se-jong (33, Daejeon Hana Citizen). Daejeon (46 points) drew 1-1 against Suwon FC on the 22nd, confirming its retention regardless of the remaining games. Daejeon has been in K-League 1 for two consecutive seasons for the first time since the promotion and relegation system was introduced. Joo Se-jong said, “Our first goal was to remain in the team. Our players showed that they are capable of doing well in K-League 1. I hope the players feel proud of having succeeded in remaining in the team.”
Daejeon received a lot of attention early this season by showing performance that exceeded expectations, including defeating the ‘absolute top’ Ulsan Hyundai. In particular, they succeeded in attracting fans with their exciting attacking soccer. Joo Se-jong said, “Actually, last winter, while going back and forth between Thailand and Geoje, I said to the players and the coach, ‘Let’s have fun playing soccer regardless of whether our results are good or not.’ We accumulated a lot of points with the soccer we prepared and received good reviews. “The players are very proud of having received this award.” Although I succeeded in staying, I could not erase the regret of not being able to advance to Final A. Joo Se-jong said, “If the score difference had been large, I would have had no regrets, but since the score gap was like 3 or 4 points, I feel more regret. When the coach calculated it, he said that 45 points was enough to advance to Final A, so I just looked at that and ran. “I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of regret because I fell to Final B even though I achieved my goal score,” he said.토토사이트
It was a memorable season in many ways for Joo Se-jong as an individual. Joo Se-jong wore the captain’s armband for the first time since turning professional this season. He said, “It was my first time playing the role of captain, and I had a hard time because I was not in shape in the summer. My most memorable moment was when I got injured while away in Incheon in the second round. I was in great shape and had confidence that I could do well with the players, but I lost it when I got injured. “It’s unfortunate that it was that way. However, with the help of my colleagues, I didn’t give up even when it was difficult, and I think I worked hard to show a better side as captain. I think it was a year in which I personally grew to show a more solid side.”
Joo Se-jong saw hope through this season. He said that if the problems revealed this season are resolved, advancing to the Asian Champions League is no longer a dream. He said, “The players played with confidence at first because it was fun and the games were going well. Other teams had several years of experience in K-League 1, but our weakness was not being able to respond when the atmosphere changed in a moment in games with those teams. “I think it was good to go out quickly in the offensive area, but there were a lot of regrets when we lost the ball and conceded a goal.” “I think that if we get further reinforcement, we will have a chance to challenge ourselves to a higher level next year.”