Suwon FC baton Kim Eun-joong Straighter and sharper

“The first goal is to fight for the mid-tier rankings, avoid side passes, play concisely, and pursue quick soccer that moves ahead of time” Player development-emphasizing sacrifice for the team

Suwon FC coach Kim Eun-joong stood in front of the camera at Suwon Stadium on the 9th, holding the K League official ball and the club emblem in the background. Coach Kim, who was appointed as the 5th head coach of Suwon FC, said, “The reason Suwon FC was able to remain in the K-League 1 (first division) last season was thanks to the support of the fans. “This year, I will win as many games as possible so that the fans can have more fun,” he said.

“We will play ‘sharp soccer’, which is straighter and faster.”

As a player, he was called ‘Sharp’ for his sharp and sharp play, and he used the same word when he became the coach of a professional soccer team. This is the story of coach Kim Eun-joong (45), who took charge of Suwon FC starting this season. This is the first time Coach Kim has served as the head coach of a professional team.

Coach Kim, who met on the 9th at the team's home stadium, Suwon Sports Complex, said, "I will try to play more concise and challenging soccer while avoiding lateral passes (which prevent forward progress) as much as possible." At the same time, he emphasized, “You have to think in advance and move in advance to play fast soccer.”

Coach Kim served as the coach of the U-20 Korean national team last year. ‘Kim Eun-joong’ ranked 4th at the FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Argentina in June last year. At the time, the U-20 national team was called the 'valley generation' because it did not have a clear star, but it continued to pull off surprises by beating France in the first game of the group stage, becoming the first Asian country to advance to the semifinals two times in a row following the 2019 tournament (runner-up). In the process, Director Kim's leadership was also highlighted.

Coach Kim said, “The approach to soccer is no different between the national team and the professional team,” adding, “The national team can select players and use them, but the professional team cannot always buy the players they want. “We will nurture and manage players in the long term,” he said. He continued, “I can’t play soccer alone, and I’m not the one who can do magic. “We can only go in the direction we want when everyone joins forces,” he said, and ordered the players to ‘sacrifice for everyone.’

Coach Kim, who played professionally in Korea, Japan (Vegalta Sendai), and China (Changsha Jinder), began his career as a coach at Tubiz, a Belgian second division team, in 2015. Afterwards, as coach of the U-23 national team, he coached the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. After last year's U-20 World Cup, he worked in the Korea Professional Football League's Technical Research Group (TSG).

Director Kim said, “I think I have grown through many challenges. “While coaching the U-20 national team, he learned how to deal with numerous variables, but at TSG, he was able to see a broader trend,” he said. Coach Kim, who is very interested in overseas leagues, also keeps in touch with Japanese national team coach Hajime Moriyasu (56), who was his roommate during his time in Sendai, and shares information.

Suwon FC ranked 11th out of 12 teams in K League 1 (first division) last season. Although they succeeded in remaining in the first division by winning the promotion play-off against Busan, the second-place team in K League 2 (second division), there are many 'holes' that need to be filled. The most urgent thing is defense. Suwon FC scored 44 goals last season while conceding 76 goals, setting a new K-League record for the most goals conceded in a single season.

Coach Kim said, “Last season, rather than conceding goals due to the opponent’s good play, there were a lot of cases where we lost points that we didn’t need to give due to our lack of concentration. “We will reduce the number of goals conceded through a stable defensive system,” he emphasized. Suwon FC, which began to reorganize its team by sending away 18 players, including key players, after the end of the season, recruited key defender Kim Tae-han from Gimpo, the team that conceded the fewest goals in K League 2 last season.

In attack, Coach Kim is planning a 4-1-4-1 formation that focuses on the lone top player and actively utilizes the second-line penetration of the attacking midfielder. Coach Kim said, “This year, our first goal is to get out of the relegation zone and fight for a stable ranking in the mid-tier.”

As Coach Kim entered the K-League 1, a head-to-head match with Jeju Coach Kim Hak-beom, who was his 'boss' during his time as coach of the U-23 national team, was also concluded. Coach Kim said, “I learned firsthand the importance of thorough preparation while working as a coach next to Coach Hak-Beom Kim. “I have high expectations as I think about facing them in their own colors in the K League,” he said. 19가이드03