This is ‘I lost well, but I fought well.' Gimpo FC collapsed at the last step of promotion. Gimpo lost 1-2 in the second leg of the promotion playoff (PO) against Gangwon FC held at Gangneung Stadium on the 9th. Gimpo, who lost the first and second games by a total of 1-2, ultimately failed to get promoted. However, against a first-division team that was several times superior in all aspects, including budget, size, and history, they played soccer without giving up an inch, showing Gimpo's power to the world.
Looking back, it was an unbelievable move. Gimpo, which entered K-League 2 (Second Division) for the first time last season, ranked 8th. Considering the league's lowest budget and a squad comprised mainly of K3 League players, it was a surprising achievement. Gimpo coach Go Jeong-woon added details to the existing ‘a lot of running' soccer. He provided balance to strong pressure. He upgraded his weak point, the defense, by adding Kim Min-ho and Cho Seong-kwon, and worked hard to recruit foreign players to improve the finishing area.
Coach Go said, “Fun soccer, high-quality soccer.” Although I was secretly hoping for better results than the 2022 season, I did not mention advancing to PO. External evaluations were also similar. There were many evaluations that Gimpo had improved compared to last season through practice games during the winter period, but the outlook was mostly mid-to-low.
When I opened the lid, it exceeded my expectations. Gimpo went undefeated in the first 12 games and rose to the lead. The atmosphere was different from the storm that the lower-ranked teams had at the beginning of each season. Gimpo did not lose its color even in the mid-season 6-game winless streak. Every team they faced never failed to say, “Gimpo is the most difficult.” Gimpo, which rebounded again, did not lose points even in the summer when injuries continued to appear. Gimpo showed remarkable concentration until the end, beating the strongest teams in K League 2 and securing 3rd place early on.
Even during his high-altitude march, Coach Ko had a habit of saying, “I'm not even thinking about PO.” It was a cold recognition of reality that ‘our team's current level is not enough' and a sign of the will to ‘silently develop Gimpo further as we have done so far.' However, when the players showed better performance than expected, Coach Ko also changed his mind. I made the calculation, ‘At this point, it's worth a try.' Gimpo, who was back and forth between 3rd and 5th place, raised a last-minute pitch to confirm PO. Coach Go's winning strategy worked brilliantly. After going undefeated in 7 games, they secured 3rd place. It was an achievement that even the word miraculous would be enough to describe.
Gimpo didn't stop. Although I had already achieved sufficient results, I had no intention of letting the remaining PO go to waste. PO was a stage of ‘challenge' rather than ‘bonus'. Coach Ko said, "Even if we spend 20 billion won next year, there is no 100% guarantee that we will be able to seize this opportunity. It is necessary to jump on the chance when it comes. Only then can you go to a prestigious club. PO, and the following K-League 1 team. “I think we have three games left until we get promoted,” he said, raising his voice.
Gimpo defeated Gyeongnam FC, who had experience in the first division, 2-1 and advanced to the promotion promotion spot. In the first game against Gangwon, there was a 0-0 draw. Gangwon coach Yoon Jeong-hwan even said, “It was a more difficult game than I thought.” Gimpo, with added confidence, attempted another miracle in the away trip to Gangwon. Even though they gave up the first goal, they showed fighting spirit to bring the game back to square one, but in the end, they could not get past the final game. The beautiful challenge of the Foreign Legion led by coach Go Jeong-woon has come to an end.
Coach Go said, "I don't think there is any way to lose. It's always a pity to lose a game." But it wasn't a failure. Through this season's challenge, Gimpo gained more than just advancement to the promotion PO. Coach Go said, "The players gained good experience through such a big game. I would like to say thank you to the players who came this far despite being scolded a lot by the coach. This is not the end. There will be another stage like this next year, so I will refer to it. “I wi
