‘Hot, hot, hot’ Chungbuk Cheongju-Seongnamjeon go scoreless in sweltering heat
Heat was the keyword for the 19th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2 2023 between Chungbuk Cheongju and Seongnam FC at Cheongju Stadium on the afternoon of March 3. The managers of both teams met before the game and, as if they had made a promise, cited ‘overcoming the heat’ as the key to victory. At 7 p.m., when the game started, the temperature in Cheongju was 31 degrees and the humidity was close to 50 percent. The tables in the outdoor press box were hot. The cold bottled water quickly became lukewarm. The shirts of the Chungbuk Cheongju staff were drenched in sweat as they busily prepared for the home game. The word “hot” automatically came out of the mouths of passing officials and fans.
The home team’s head coach Choi Yoon-gyeom said, “The temperature is the same, but the humidity is high. I watched the game between Anyang and Gyeongnam yesterday, and many players had muscle cramps.” Seongnam coach Lee Ki-hyung, who ditched his trademark suit in favor of a comfortable shirt, emphasized the need to overcome the heat in order to rebound from a four-game losing streak. “Who doesn’t lose the ball easily, who stays more focused in the second half, and who scores the first goal will be important,” he said, predicting that the weather would be a key factor in the game. “It’s a battle of moods. If we get dragged down, it will take a lot of energy,” said Choi, who emphasized the need for his team to continue their upward trend, which has seen them go unbeaten in their last three matches (2 wins, 1 draw). 메이저놀이터추천
Seongnam and Chungbuk Cheongju, who were ranked 10th and 11th respectively before the match and needed three points, were eager to keep the momentum going. As they fought for the ball, they exchanged harsh fouls, which resulted in very few passes near either goal. In the 4th minute, Seongnam’s Kang Kang-bin’s consecutive shots were blocked by Chungbuk Cheongju goalkeeper Park Dae-dae. In the 37th minute, Chungbuk Cheongju’s Peter took a non-stop shot at the ball that came out of a contested aerial ball, but it went wide of the goal. The second half was no different from the first. Neither team was able to create any decisive chances. Lee brought on striker Jin Sung-wook on loan from Jeju in the 26th minute. Seongnam’s Cho Sung-wook rattled the post in the 35th minute, but the goal was called back for an offside penalty. Despite the silence of Chungbuk Cheongju ace Jorge, who scored four goals in the last three matches, Chungbuk Cheongju, who scored six goals in the last three matches, had to settle for a point. “I think it would be better to avoid games or reduce the number of games during the heat wave,” Choi suggested.
Meanwhile, at Gwangyang Stadium, where Jeonnam and Seoul Eland played at the same time, a total of six goals were scored to delight fans. Down 2-3, Jeonnam Valdivia scored a dramatic equalizer with a five-minute penalty in the second half of stoppage time to draw 3-3.