Jeong Gyeong-ho expressed satisfaction after his team defeated Daejeon Hana Citizen at home, praising their relentless energy and collective effort.
Gangwon secured a 2-0 victory over Daejeon in the 14th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 at Gangneung High1 Arena. The result lifted them to fifth place with 21 points (5 wins, 6 draws, 3 losses), extending their unbeaten run to four matches (2 wins, 2 draws).
After the match, Jeong said: “Daejeon is a team that builds from the back, but today they abandoned that and fought physically. We had some dangerous moments in the first half, but Park Cheong-hyo’s super save gave us a boost. Despite some difficult spells, overall we created chances with high energy and good balance. In the second half, Kim Geon-hee and Abudalla came on and delivered. We’ve maintained explosive energy even with a tough schedule. The players are incredible, and I’m grateful. We earned a precious three points. We’ll aim to win the next match against Ulsan and show everyone that this team is alive.”
Abudalla, who usually comes off the bench, scored the decisive goal—his sixth of the season. Jeong explained: “In the first half, Ko Young-joon and Choi Byung-chan run a lot and wear down the opponent. Our plan is to bring in Kim Geon-hee and Abudalla in the second half to finish the job, and it worked perfectly. Abudalla could start in the future, but until the break, he’ll likely continue as a super sub. After that, we’ll develop tactics to maximize his strengths.”
Gangwon continued their aggressive high-pressing style, overwhelming the opposition. Jeong added: “Ko Young-joon and Choi Byung-chan work incredibly hard up front. They excel in personal pressure, organized pressure, and team pressure. While we sometimes lack the finishing touch, the players who come off the bench fill that gap. It’s our winning formula, and we have many ways to use it.”
Notably, Portugal national team assistant coach João Aroso and coach Kim Dong-jin attended the match. With the World Cup squad announcement approaching on the 16th, Jeong commented: “I experienced the 2006 World Cup myself. Going to the World Cup is a huge achievement. I believe Lee Ki-hyuk, Lee Yoo-hyun, and Seo Min-woo from Gangwon are all deserving candidates. I don’t know what coach Hong Myung-bo is thinking, but I hope we have a World Cup representative from our team.”