Song Bum-geun’s absence was this big… Jeonbuk’s goalkeeping woes continue throughout the first half

Jeonbuk Hyundai’s ‘back door’ continues to shake.

On the 29th, Jeonbuk lost 0-1 to Pohang in the 15th round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 at the Pohang Steel Yard. With the loss, Jeonbuk remained in seventh place in the league after five games.

Jeonbuk held up well against Pohang. In the first half, Jeonbuk maintained good concentration, with goalkeeper Kim Jung-hoon saving a free kick from Baek Sung-dong, and Pohang was lucky to have two shots hit the post. In the 36th minute, a corner kick from Baek Sung-dong hit Zeca’s head and then hit the opposite post. In the 37th minute, Paik’s shot from inside the penalty area also hit the crossbar.

But in the second half, the floodgates opened. Ko Young-joon scored the game-winning goal. In the 21st minute of the second half, Go Young-joon broke through Koo Ja-ryong to launch a counterattack. He sprinted to the penalty area and beat Kim Jung-hoon with a bold right-footed shot.

Kim was unfortunate to make the save. Kim reacted to Ko’s shot, but he didn’t quite get it right in the punching process. The shot hit his hand 안전놀이터 and fell backwards. The punch was more of a mistake considering Kim also extended his arm in anticipation of the shot’s path. The rain made the ball slippery and the shot was relatively strong, but it wasn’t a shot that a goalkeeper of a championship contender couldn’t stop.

Pohang goalkeeper Hwang In-jae, on the other hand, remained focused until the very end. In the fifth minute of the second half, Song Min-kyu’s ground ball cross was headed back by Lee Dong-joon, but Hwang In-jae stretched out to make the save. In the 45th minute, he made a solid save on a right-footed ground ball from Cho Kyu-sung to give his team the lead.

Jeonbuk’s goalkeeping woes have continued throughout the season. They filled the void left by Song Bum-geun, who left for Shonan Belmare, with Kim Jung-hoon, who returned from Gimcheon, and Jeong Min-ki, who was acquired from FC Anyang, but neither player has performed to their satisfaction. Kim made a huge mistake in the first match against Ulsan, which led to a comeback loss. Jung Min-ki hasn’t played a game since conceding a goal in the last match against Daegu due to a catching error.

Goalkeeping is one of the most important positions in soccer. One big mistake can be the difference between a win and a loss. Goalkeeping has been a big part of Jeonbuk’s struggles this season. With the summer transfer window approaching, Jeonbuk’s worries are only going to grow.