Ulsan Hyundai head coach Hong Myung-bo shared his thoughts on the team’s come-from-behind victory over Jeonbuk Hyundai in the previous match.

Ulsan defeated Suwon FC 3-1 in the 17th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2023 at Suwon Sports Complex on June 6. The league leader Ulsan became the first team to surpass the 40-point mark with 41 points.

Ulsan conceded an early goal in the 16th minute through Yoon Beom-garam, but came back with three goals in the second half. Martin Adam tied the game in the 24th minute, and In-Joo Gyu put the game out of reach in the 42nd minute. In stoppage time, Bako rattled the net to seal the win.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hong said, “It was a tough game. The biggest problem was how to recover from the loss in the last game, and we conceded a goal in the first half. We talked about how we hoped the after-effects would be limited to the first half, and then we scored in the second half and won. I feel like we’re back on track. I want to thank the players for giving their best until the end,” he concluded.

“We’ve had some injuries and acclimatization issues, but when we were preparing for this match, we knew Ataru would have a role to play. He played a crucial role in the goal, but it would have been nice to have scored one myself. It would have been a great confidence booster to score today. But he did a very good job,” he said.

The match also marked the retirement of Park Joo-ho. The 40-cap veteran played in Japan and Europe before returning to Korea for the 2018 season, playing three seasons with Ulsan before joining Suwon FC for the 2021 season. He announced his retirement this year in his third season with Suwon. He has 127 career K League appearances.

“After the game, I didn’t know whether to congratulate him or feel sorry for him, but he asked me to congratulate him, so I did. I don’t know what he’s going to do in the future, but I hope he does what he wants to do. It’s been a long road for him.” 먹튀검증