K League 2 Gelar Pertandingan Pekan Ke-13 Hari Ini

Tiga tim K League 2 bersiap melakoni pertandingan pekan ke-13 yang berlangsung pada Senin, 25 Mei 2026 pukul 16.30 waktu setempat di dua stadion berbeda. Paju Frontier menjamu Gimpo FC di Stadion Paju, sementara Cheonan City FC menantang Suwon Samsung di Stadion Piala Dunia Suwon.

Dilansir dari Starnews Korea, Paju Frontier yang berada di peringkat ke-12 liga akan memperkenalkan 300 kursi variabel untuk pertama kali dalam sejarah klub demi mendongkrak atmosfer stadion. Kursi tersebut terdiri dari 200 area berdiri dan 100 area duduk yang ditempatkan tepat di belakang tiang gawang.

Paju Frontier saat ini mengoleksi 14 poin dari hasil 4 kemenangan, 2 imbang, dan 5 kekalahan, hanya terpaut tiga poin dari Gimpo FC di peringkat ketujuh. Pertemuan ini menjadi momen perdana kedua tim bertanding di K League 2 setelah terakhir kali bersua di K League 3 pada musim 2021.

Di pertandingan lain, Cheonan City FC yang berada di peringkat ke-11 dengan 15 poin berambisi menembus papan tengah saat menghadapi Suwon Samsung di peringkat ketiga. Cheonan bermodalkan catatan pertahanan terbaik kedua di liga dengan hanya kebobolan 10 gol dari 11 laga, serta rekor tidak terkalahkan dalam 7 pertandingan beruntun sebelum trennya sedikit menurun baru-baru ini.

Manajer Cheonan City FC, Park Jin-seop, memberikan instruksi khusus kepada anak asuhnya dalam konferensi pers sebelum pertandingan demi menghadapi tekanan di markas lawan.

"Suwon Samsung is a strong team aiming for the championship. We will face them with our organizational strength." kata Park Jin-seop, Manajer Cheonan City FC.

Park Jin-seop berharap para pemainnya tidak gugup dan mampu menikmati atmosfer stadion yang dipadati banyak penonton meski bertindak sebagai tim tamu.

"Although it is an away game, I hope the players do not get nervous but instead enjoy the atmosphere of Suwon World Cup Stadium, which attracts many spectators." ujar Park Jin-seop, Manajer Cheonan City FC.

Guna menghadapi laga besar tersebut, ia meminta timnya tetap tenang dan meningkatkan komunikasi di dalam lapangan.

"These players do not have much experience in such big games. I instructed them to remain calm inside the stadium, communicate more with each other, and work through the game." tutur Park Jin-seop, Manajer Cheonan City FC.

Terkait susunan pemain, Cheonan memasang Heo Dong-min di lini tengah untuk berduet dengan Ramas yang dinilai memiliki keunggulan teknis.

"We placed Heo Dong-min next to the technically superior Ramas." kata Park Jin-seop, Manajer Cheonan City FC.

Ia berharap kerja sama kedua pemain tersebut dapat mengalirkan bola dengan baik serta memberikan dorongan semangat bagi tim.

"I expect these two players to play a good connecting role in the midfield, such as passing. Since Heo Dong-min is still young, I expect him to run energetically and inject fighting spirit, serving as a vital force for the team." ujar Park Jin-seop, Manajer Cheonan City FC.

Meski Suwon Samsung gagal menang dalam dua laga terakhirnya, Park Jin-seop tetap menganggap mereka sebagai lawan tangguh yang berambisi meraih gelar juara.

"Although Suwon has not won in their last two matches, they are a strong team with good performance and championship aspirations, so they will be a difficult opponent." tutur Park Jin-seop, Manajer Cheonan City FC.

Pihaknya mengaku telah mempersiapkan strategi kolektif selama sepekan demi mendulang poin penuh sebelum jeda Piala Dunia.

"Cheonan has prepared thoroughly for a week to unite as a team rather than individuals and face them organizationally. We aim to accumulate as many points as possible in the remaining three matches before the World Cup break to narrow the gap with mid-to-upper tier teams and enter the break on a high note." kata Park Jin-seop, Manajer Cheonan City FC.

Dalam menyusun taktik, ia juga mempelajari skema pertahanan dari tim-tim lain yang sebelumnya sukses meredam agresivitas serangan Suwon Samsung.

"We referenced the defensive strategies of other teams that faced Suwon. For Cheonan, following that direction will be the best option in defense." ujar Park Jin-seop, Manajer Cheonan City FC.

Sementara di sektor penyerangan, perubahan dilakukan tanpa merusak keseimbangan lini belakang dengan menyiapkan pemain pengganti di babak kedua.

"In attack, we tried to introduce some changes to the attacking line while not disrupting defensive balance, aiming for a different style. To manage stamina, we will bring on game changers Lee Jun-ho and Sarzani in the second half to find a breakthrough." tutur Park Jin-seop, Manajer Cheonan City FC.

Di kubu tuan rumah, Suwon Samsung mengincar kemenangan demi memangkas jarak poin dari pemuncak klasemen Busan IPark. Pelatih Kepala Suwon Samsung, Lee Jeong-hyo, menegaskan fokus utamanya adalah performa tim sendiri ketimbang memikirkan hasil pertandingan tim lain.

"There was no stress about the results. Rather than hoping other teams perform poorly, we just need to focus on doing well ourselves. Realistically, I don't think there is any team in the K League 2 that we can completely dominate and beat. So, we just need to defend well and play what we can do." kata Lee Jeong-hyo, Pelatih Kepala Suwon Samsung.

Lee Jeong-hyo mengungkapkan filosofi kepelatihannya selama masa persiapan dengan mengutip sebuah pepatah kuno terkait proses menghadapi kritik.

"The proverb 'Don't let the fear of maggots prevent you from making soy sauce' came to mind. We decided to focus more on the process rather than criticism or unfavorable results. Currently, we are struggling to score goals, so we have been continuously training with the players on how to score." ujar Lee Jeong-hyo, Pelatih Kepala Suwon Samsung.

Suwon Samsung menghadapi kendala badai cedera di lini depan, termasuk penyerang utama Kim Ji-hyun yang harus naik meja operasi lutut, serta absennya Hong Jung-ho.

"Hong Jung-ho is resting for player protection." tutur Lee Jeong-hyo, Pelatih Kepala Suwon Samsung.

Ia tidak menampik kekhawatiran atas absennya para pilar ofensif tersebut, namun menganggap situasi ini sebagai kesempatan bagi pemain lain.

"It is very painful that Hong Jung-ho is absent, but Song Ju-hoon will step in and fill the void well. Currently, Kim Ji-hyun, Park Ji-won, Fesin, and Bruno Silva are injured. Kim Ji-hyun's recovery will likely take a long time. There are many injuries on the offensive side, which is concerning, but rather than worrying before even trying, we will just try. Thanks to the injured players, other players are getting opportunities, and we will manage well." kata Lee Jeong-hyo, Pelatih Kepala Suwon Samsung.

Menghadapi tembok kokoh Cheonan City FC, Lee Jeong-hyo menilai kendala mencetak gol timnya belakangan ini dipicu oleh kualitas aliran bola yang kurang maksimal menuju lini depan.

"Teams that face Suwon prepare to score through counterattacks. Although Iluchenko has not scored recently, that is not a player's problem but a team problem. It is because high-quality passes, such as short passes or final crosses, have not been delivered. Going forward, rather than chasing results, we will take a long-term view and focus on the process. With new roster additions Yeom Min-joon and Yoon Geun-young, and returning player Lee Sang-min showing good form in training, we will find a way." ujar Lee Jeong-hyo, Pelatih Kepala Suwon Samsung.