Kim Joo-chan (Suwon), born in 2004, was the hero of the “Regular League Support Derby,” which took place for the first time in 21 years since 2003.
Kim Joo-chan, Suwon’s youngest striker, scored the first goal in the 18th minute of the first half in an away match against Anyang in the eighth round of the “Hana Bank K League 2 2024” held at Anyang Sports Complex on the 21st. Suwon combined Kim Hyun’s additional goal in the 41st minute and Mulic’s decisive goal in the 44th minute, beating Anyang, where Kim Un recovered a goal in the extra time of the second half, 3-1. Suwon, which has won four consecutive games, scored six wins, two losses and 18 points, knocking down Anyang (16 points), which suffered its first loss of the season, and reclaiming the lead.
Kim Joo-chan, who appeared like a comet last season, was silent for six consecutive games this season, when Suwon was demoted to the second division for the first time in its history, and showed his strong side as a “killer” in big games by exploding the season’s horseman’s goal in the “Support Derby.” Kim Joo-chan made his professional debut goal in the match against Ulsan in July 2023, the season of his professional debut. 유흥알바
Kim Joo-chan, who was nominated for the K League 2 Young Player Award by scoring a total of five goals last season, had a hard time adapting himself to the new system under Yeom Ki-hoon and the K League 2 style. However, after moving to the right side, his performance gradually began to pick up, and he has secured a solid rebound point in Suwon’s most important matches so far. “Kim Joo-chan has become more active than last year. He must have been stressed out because he didn’t get a goal, but since he scored in important games, I think he will continue to push hard,” said Yeom Ki-hoon, manager of Suwon.
Coincidentally, the game was the first “supportive derby” played in the regular league since 2003 before Kim Joo-chan was born. The fact that a rookie who only encountered the history and meaning of “supportive derby” in writing and video engraved his name in the history of “supportive derby” itself has a great symbolic meaning.
“Ji-dae-bi” is a derby named after “Ji-dae,” the pass between Anyang and Suwon. When LG Cheetahs (currently FC Seoul) were based in Anyang, Anyang and Suwon had a fierce rivalry. The “Ji-dae-bi” was sparked by Suwon coach Cho Kwang-rae’s appointment as Anyang coach in 1997, and Seo Jung-won’s joining in Suwon in 1999. The fizzling heat intensified when the two teams clashed in the playoffs in 2022. At that time, Suwon barely survived thanks to Oh Hyun-kyu’s theatrical goal. On the same day, 12,323 spectators visited the Anyang Sports Complex, the largest number of spectators at Anyang’s home stadium.