“The K-League 2 map this season is one of the 12 rounds… There is no weak or strong team.”
Lee Young-min (50) Bucheon FC 1995 predicted that the K-League 2 in the 2023 season is the ‘Spring and Autumn National Era’.
Bucheon FC 1995 attended the press conference for the 7th Media Camp of the 2023 K-League Winter Field Training held at the Samsung Hotel in Geoje on the afternoon of the 13th.
Bucheon surprised everyone by finishing 4th in the K League 2 regular season last season. It was an incredible transformation for a team that stayed at the bottom of the previous season. Although they finished the challenge by losing to Gyeongnam in the promotion semi-playoff (Jun PO), the reversal story written by coach Lee Young-min left a deep impression on many.
Director Lee Young-min, who entered the third year, must take on another new challenge in the 2023 season. Cho Hyun-taek, who was named in the K-League 2 best 11 last season, returned to Ulsan, while key midfielder Oh Jae-hyuk and goalkeeper Choi Cheol-won left for Jeonbuk and Seoul, respectively. Not a few key players have left.
Fortunately, he succeeded in strengthening himself with a free agent (FA). Song Jin-gyu from Ansan, Park Hyung-jin from Suwon Samsung, goalkeeper Lee Beom-soo from Jeonbuk, and multiplayer Kang Jae-woo from Seongnam were brought in. Internal crackdowns were also successfully completed by renewing contracts with captain Kim Ho-nam, Nilsson Jr., and Kim Jun-hyung.
Coach Lee Young-min said, “There have been more changes than expected. Key players have left,” but added, “However, the newly recruited players have good enough skills.
The following is a Q&A with director Lee Young-min.
Q. Veteran players emphasized mindset.
Last year, I had a good season with young players. I always think the team needs to go one step further. You have to show confidence that you can win against any team on the field. Seniors are leading the atmosphere well. I think the young players will learn well and do well on the pitch.
Q. Who is the most promising next to Cho Hyun-taek and Oh Jae-hyuk?
We recruited better players than we thought. There are plenty of players who can show good performances like Cho Hyeon-taek and Oh Jae-hyuk. Ahn Jae-jun also has good skills. Among the young players, I expect Park Ho-min and Kim Seon-ho to show a good performance as well as the two players.
Q. Can we expect a new structure this year as well?
Even this year, young players are learning a lot from veteran players. Existing veteran players such as Han Ji-ho and Kim Ho-nam are doing well, and Park Hyung-jin, a new player, is also showing good shape on the field. It is important for young players to learn by watching their older brothers.
Q. You set high goals for this season.
It should become a Bucheon that develops little by little every year. Last year, we went all the way to the semi-playoffs, but we were able to show a better image, but it is regrettable that we did not. Key players have left, but good players have been recruited. This is a team that can make it to the playoffs. I want to show Bucheon developing one step further.
Q. Will there be a change in soccer style?
I plan to stick to the good ways I used to do. Of course, we need to make up for the shortcomings compared to last year. I did a lot of such training in Thailand, and I am still supplementing it through practice games. I will prepare well until the opening day.
I think we need a more aggressive defense this year. We conceded fewer goals last year, but we need to get the ball from a higher position than last year so that we can attack and counterattack faster. I want to play fast football.
Q. The K-League 2 game is also expected.
I think it’s in the middle of the 12th. There are two new teams, but in K-League 2, there are always many variables and the strength is similar. I don’t think there is any weak or strong team. You have to go until the middle of the second round to know the game. The first river is Gimcheon. I think everything else will be the same. 메이저사이트
Q. Last year, player labor cost was 8th. It’s difficult to spend a lot of money.
It is not a team that can spend a lot of money this year, so we recruited players accordingly. Still, it is evolving little by little. Thanks to the club’s help, we were able to recruit good players. The budget has to increase little by little to see promotion. Then I wonder if there will be fewer players who quit.
Q. You will face Gyeongnam from the opening game.
I had my first match with Gyeongnam. The opening game is important, but I think the 4 games after the opening are very important. The atmosphere will be very different depending on how Seongnam, Cheonan, and Ansan matches are played. I want to focus on how to set the mood for the 4th game.
Q. Can we reduce trial and error this year?
The most important thing is how few injured players there are. There are many relatively young players, so it is important how to capture the atmosphere in the early stages. As with any team, if you do well in the beginning, you can easily maintain the atmosphere. Last year, I was able to achieve good results because I did well in the beginning. As we are in the first round of 12, if the atmosphere in the beginning is bad, it will be difficult to come out later.
Q. What do you emphasize on the players?
Offensive, defensive or numerical superiority is important. Through cooperative defense, you can take the ball more easily, and in attack, if there are more than one player, you can easily relieve pressure. That is why it is important to select the position of the players. If you run a little faster and think a little faster, you can get a numerical advantage.
