“We don’t have any strikers other than Ahn Byung-joon.”
The words of Suwon Samsung head coach Kim Byung-soo were tinged with regret, and they represented the current situation of the team, which is in a difficult situation. Suwon has had a tough time this year. After 19 league games, they have only two wins, three draws, and 14 losses (9 points) and are mired in a 12th-bottom slump. Out of the 12 teams in the league, they are the only one that hasn’t reached 10 points. They were also eliminated in the quarterfinals of the highly anticipated FA Cup. Suwon lost 2-3 away to Incheon United in Incheon on Nov. 28.
In the FA Cup quarterfinals, Suwon had no frontline resources except for “21-year-old striker” Park Hee-joon. Star striker Ahn Byung-joon was left off the roster altogether. Coach Kim Byung-soo said, “I couldn’t play Ahn Byung-jun because we had a game after two days off. We don’t have any strikers other than Ahn,” said Kim Byung-soo.
Oh Hyun-kyu (Celtic), Suwon’s offense until last year, has been unable to fill the void since leaving the team. His replacement, foreign striker Mulich, has been plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Mulicic was scheduled to play in Incheon, but was injured in the Super Match against FC Seoul on April 24. He had only played six minutes and was unlucky with the injury. “Mulicic had a problem in the Seoul game,” explained head coach Kim Byung-soo. The team will now travel to Daegu FC on July 1. It seems unlikely that Mulic will be able to regain his form by then.안전놀이터
The Serbian striker played eight league games this year, but only scored one goal. He got off to a rocky start with a hamstring injury at the start of the season, and even after returning, he struggled to integrate into Suwon’s style. With another injury, it’s unclear how much he’ll be able to contribute to the team for the foreseeable future. Park Hee-joon was also injured on the day. Suwon’s woes will only deepen.
The return of Kwon Chang-hoon, who completed his military service on June 26, will be later than expected. According to Suwon officials, Kwon is not feeling well due to a heel injury he sustained while with the Gimcheon Sangmu, and he has his own wedding next week, so he won’t join the team until after that. Coach Kim Byung-soo said, “I’m not thinking about Kwon Chang-hoon’s return yet. It would be great if he came back, but I don’t think it’s time to talk about it. We have to wait and see,” he said.
A member of last year’s World Cup in Qatar, Kwon has appeared in eight K League 2 matches this year, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
The only other reliable frontline option is Ahn Byung-joon. However, Suwon has been struggling in the league, and the team’s tight schedule has only added to the physical strain and injury risk.
The only positive is that flanker Bassani returned from injury against Incheon, and midfielder Myung Jun-jae found confidence with a multi-goal performance. Coach Kim Byung-soo said, “Basani played beyond his physical strength. I hope he can improve his condition,” said Kim. “Myung-jae hasn’t played much, but he’s been working hard. He showed good form. There were some disappointments, but I think he did everything he could. If he continues to work hard, there will be a good situation.”