Song Min-kyu (23, Jeonbuk Hyundai) presented his ‘first goal’ and ‘maiden victory’ to ‘new coach’ Dan Petrescu. After scoring the goal, he immediately ran to his coach to share his joy.
Song Min-gyu started the 2023 Hana OneQ FA Cup quarterfinal against Gwangju FC at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on Nov. 28, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the team’s 4-0 win.
It was Petrescu’s first win as Jeonbuk’s new head coach and his debut victory at home.
On April 24, Jeonbuk suffered a bitter defeat to Gwangju in Petrescu’s debut. They were brought to their knees with a 0-2 score in the 19th round of the K League 1. On this day, they succeeded in their ‘sulbok’.
Song Min-kyu is Jeonbuk’s ‘first goal’ under Petrescu. He scored the first goal of the game. In the 13th minute of the second half, Song Min-gyu saw a cross from the left and rushed into the box. The Gwangju defense failed to clear the cross and the ball fell to Song Min-gyu. Seizing the opportunity, he rattled the Gwangju goal with a right-footed shot.스포츠토토
After Cho Kyu-sung made it 2-0 with a penalty kick in the 21st minute, Song Min-gyu added another assist. He drove down the right flank and sent a cross into the box, where Jun Amano headed it home. Jeonbuk then added another goal from Cho Kyu-sung in the 44th minute to seal the four-goal victory.
[Photo: Korea Football Association
After the game, Song Min-gyu said, “We didn’t look good in our first league game after the change of coach, but it feels good to win with a clean sheet and a lot of goals in two games. It’s not a victory for me alone. It was a team effort.” He humbled himself.
He was disappointed that the first half ended 0-0 after failing to capitalize on numerous chances. “As a striker, it was a very disappointing game. It was a first half with a lot to reflect on,” he said soberly.
On this day, Gwangju made a rotation. This was to focus more on the league. “We came into the game knowing (Gwangju’s position), and because we lost in the league, we didn’t want to take revenge on them, but we wanted to win the FA Cup, so I think our desire to win was greater than Gwangju’s,” explains Song Min-gyu.
Reflecting on the previous league defeat against Guangzhou, he said, “I was very upset, but I thought I had to accept the result, and it’s true that Guangzhou is a promoted team, but they are very tough and demanding.”