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| Seongnam beat Suwon to win FA Cup |
| [ 2011-10-15 ] |
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| ⓒKFA |
Substitute Cho Dong-Gun struck the winner as Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma defeated Suwon Samsung Bluewings 1-0 to lift the Hana Bank FA Cup on Saturday.
In a rematch of the 2009 final at Tancheon Sports Complex, the Pegasus and the Bluewings crossed swords again with a ticket to next season's AFC Champions League at stake. With the hard-fought win at home, Seongnam made up for the defeat two years ago at the same venue against the same opponents who had been aiming at their third consecutive victory in the FA Cup.
It was the visitors that took the initiative on the rain-soaked pitch, with Lee Sang-Ho shooting straight at Ha Kang-Jin after receiving the ball from Oh Beom-Seok on the right flank. At the opposite end, Kim Sung-Hwan and Dzenan Radoncic tested Jung Sung-Ryong with shots from outside the area.
Suwon kept up the pressure midway through the first half, captain Yeom Ki-Hun and Stevica Ristic trying their luck from distance. Moments later, the Macedonian striker was only denied by a fine save by Ha, following a neat through ball from Park Hyun-Bem on 25 minutes.
Park thought he had put his side ahead two minutes later when he fired home from Ristic's pass, but the Suwon midfielder was adjudged to be in an offside position. The visitors were dealt another blow five minutes before halftime, as centre-back Kwak Hee-Ju was stretched off to be replaced by Choi Sung-Hwan.
The second half began in the same fashion as the first, with the rain pouring down on the pitch making it difficult for both sides to find their rhythm. Suwon had more possession of the ball while Seongnam sat back and waited for chances to counterattack.
Cho then came off the bench to replace Jo Jae-Cheol as the hosts sought to find a breakthrough, but it was Suwon that grabbed another chance on the hour mark. Yeom headed the ball into the path of Ristic, whose right-footed effort seemed to be deflected off the right arm of Sasa Ognenovski. But the referee did not think it was intentional and waved off the appeals from Suwon players.
Against the run of play, the deadlock was finally broken with 14 minutes remaining, when Cho rose highest among the crowded goalmouth to head home from an in-swinging corner from Hong Chul.
Suwon were desperately searching for an equaliser - as they successfully did so to force the match into extra time two years ago - but as it turned out, there was not enough time for substitutes Alexander Geynrikh and Ha Tae-Goon to put their side back into it.
2011 Hana Bank FA Cup Final
Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 1-0 Suwon Samsung Bluewings
15 October 2011, Tancheon Sports Complex
Scorer: Cho Dong-Gun 76'
Seongnam (4-2-3-1)
Ha Kang-Jin; Hong Chul, Kim Tae-Yoon, Ognenovski (c), Park Jin-Po; Kim Sung-Hwan, Jeon Sung-Chan; Jo Jae-Cheol (Cho Dong-Gun 56'), Hevertinho, Everton; Radoncic / Coach: Shin Tae-Yong
Suwon (4-3-3)
Jung Sung-Ryong; Yang Sang-Min, Neretljak, Kwak Hee-Ju (Choi Sung-Hwan 40'), Oh Beom-Seok; Oh Jang-Eun (Geynrikh 78'), Lee Yong-Rae, Park Hyun-Bem (Ha Tae-Goon 80'); Yeom Ki-Hun (c), Ristic, Lee Sang-Ho / Coach: Yoon Sung-Hyo |
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