“I wasn’t the main character…” Park Sungwoo’s tearful interview
“I wasn’t the main character, but I always worked hard. I think it was a goal and a victory that the heavens helped us achieve.”
Chungnam Asan pulled off a 4-3 upset victory over FC Anyang in the 31st round of the Hana OneQ K League 2 2023 at Yi Sunshin Sports Complex at 4 p.m. on Sunday. The win ended Chungnam Asan’s three-game losing streak.
After conceding an early goal to Moon Sung-woo, Chungnam Asan scored two goals in the first half. Kim Kang-gook scored the equalizer. In the 27th minute of the first half, Kim Kang-gook took a free kick from Park Sung-woo and converted it into a goal. Kang Min-kyu scored the equalizer. In the 39th minute, Lee Hak-min’s fantasy pass was caught by Kang Min-kyu as he was penetrating, and he shook the goal.스포츠토토
The game turned in the second half. Four minutes into the second half, Joo Hyun-woo scored from a free kick to make it 2-2. Chungnam Asan was unable to develop a proper offense due to Anyang’s momentum. Hong Chang-beom turned the game around. In the 10th minute of the second half, he scored with a clever shot to give Anyang the lead again.
Chungnam Asan turned the game around again. Park Dae-hoon scored in the 45th minute of the second half, and Park Sung-woo scored in the first minute of second-half stoppage time off a rebound. Park Sung-woo became the protagonist of the epic battle in the worst weather ever. The game ended with a 4-3 overtime victory for Chungnam Asan.
According to Chungnam Asan officials, Park had a fever after scoring. Park entered the K League in 2018 when he joined Seoul Eland after graduating from Jeonju University, but he didn’t get much playing time and came to Chungnam Asan last year. He played as a rotation resource, switching between starting and substituting. He was very active and active, and he could play both left and right fullback, so he was very versatile.
He didn’t have a lot of presence, but he worked hard and was dedicated to the team, so the heavens gave him a goal that was a gift. The goal was especially meaningful as Park is getting married later this year. “I still don’t know if it’s a dream or reality,” Park said in the Mixzone interview.
Photo by Shin Dong-hoon, Interfootball Reporter
- When you scored, was it a shot or a kick?
It was a kick. It was too rainy and the ground conditions were bad, so there was nothing we could do. So I chose a long pass that was easy to put into the box, and the heavens helped me and I got lucky. That’s why we were able to win.
- I wonder how you felt after you kicked the ball and looked at the situation after that.
I was hoping it would be a long ball and go to my team, but I didn’t look at it because I was disappointed, and then I suddenly got up from the bench. I realized it was a goal. Everyone was happy, so I went to the bench without realizing it.
- What did coach Park Dong-hyuk say?
“We hadn’t scored in two months and lost three games in a row. The coaching staff, the manager, and the players were all suffering. We were demoralized and unmotivated. So we spent two weeks preparing for this game. We trained hard and prepared to win. I think it was a blessing in disguise that we had that kind of preparation.
Photo: KFA
- Did you think you would be the hero of this match?
I don’t remember being the hero. I wasn’t a player who was in the spotlight a lot. I was a player who played for the team and dedicated myself. Still, if you’re a soccer player, you have dreams. I imagined being the hero of the game and being interviewed in a press conference. That dream became a reality. That was today. I’m so happy.
- How do you think you’ll feel when you see the replay?
I don’t think it’s going to be real, and (after the goal) I couldn’t help but cry. Last year, my team was on the rise and I was happy to join Chungnam Asan. I had high hopes for this season, but we didn’t perform well and I didn’t play much. I would like to thank my family for waiting patiently behind me and my girlfriend, who is getting married this year.
- I heard you had a fever, how did you feel?
I was crying and laughing because I was so happy. Both emotions coexisted. It was like a dream that this moment would come to me. I was so happy that my dreams came true, and I realized why I should have goals. I felt a lot today.
- For me, it was the game of my life, and for the goalkeeper who conceded the goal, it was a game to forget.
As a fellow soccer player, I personally feel sorry for him. But I’m a Chungnam Asan player and I put my life on the line for the team. You have to look at wins and losses calmly. I think he will overcome it as a professional player. I will support them to overcome it.
Photo: Korea Professional Football Association
-The game of your life?
I was happy to come from Asan, Chungnam. There have been many twists and turns in my professional life. I didn’t shine a bit and I thought I could do better, but I didn’t. So it was hard. I wouldn’t say today was the match of my life, I’m just happy to win.
