It was a bitter defeat after 11 games, and even more so for Han Ho-gang, who played the full 90 minutes in the captain’s armband. He felt guilty that his own mistakes led to the loss, and the burden of not bringing the team a point as captain fell on his shoulders.

The day after the loss, Han Ho-gang prepared for the game against Cheongju in Chungbuk with a different training attitude. He trained with more determination and focus to seize an opportunity that might not come again, and coach Byun Sung-hwan gave him the starting spot again.

“I trained harder and more intensely than usual so that we wouldn’t fall into a losing streak,” Han Ho-gang said in a pre-match interview, explaining how he prepared for the Chungbuk Cheongju match. Two and a half months later, and the first defeat since Byun Sung-hwan’s arrival, Han Ho-gang described the atmosphere in the locker room 토토사이트 immediately afterward.

“He said a lot of things after the loss, but the one that stuck with me the most was, ‘You can’t just take this loss lightly. We need to take this loss seriously and think about why we lost, and we need to start training with that attitude so that we don’t make the same mistakes again.”

The loss could have dampened the team’s spirits as they were on the rise, but Han Ho-gang said, “The first loss didn’t dampen our spirits. Coach Byun Sung-hwan came in and we didn’t lose, and we’ve been building up for 11 games, so we didn’t fall apart after losing one game. We just prepared hard to avoid losing two games in a row,” he said of the team’s changed mood.

With captain Yang Hyung-mo recently out of the lineup due to injury and vice captains Cho Yoon-seong and Kim Joo-chan frequently missing from the roster, Han Ho-gang naturally wears the captain’s armband. As captain, it’s up to him to keep his teammates’ morale up. “It’s not a light job,” admitted Suwon Samsung captain Han Ho-gang, who also has a lot of pressure.

“I don’t take it lightly, but if I take it too seriously, I think it will weigh me down, so I don’t care, and I’m doing my usual leadership and dedication behind the scenes. I think the coach evaluated my attitude and gave me the armband, so I’m working with a mindset that doesn’t show my usual self,” he said.

Byun has been using the center back combination of Han Ho-gang and Jang Seok-hwan since the home match against Ansan in June. Jang Seok-hwan, a left-footed fullback with quick feet, is starting to show his qualities as a center back and is paired with the taller Han Ho-gang.

Han Ho-gang said, “After my injury, I’m back in the starting lineup again, but I’m more grateful than pressured. As a player, I’m very grateful that he evaluated me and trusted me on the field, and I think I have a great desire to repay him because he always has faith in me while having tactical conversations with me,” said Byun Sung-hwan.

“He’s short and he’s not a professional center back, but he has his own strengths and I have my own strengths and weaknesses, so I think we’re doing a good job of covering each other’s strengths and weaknesses, and that’s why we’re getting good results,” he said.

Han Ho-gang credits Suwon’s supporters, the “Frente Tricolore,” for his ability to play responsibly. He gritted his teeth to avoid disappointing the fans, and will be ready to give his all on the field in this match.

“I think we are closer to winning if we maximize what we have prepared and what we have built up so far. “I’m very grateful for the passionate support we always get and I never took it for granted. I’ll do my best to repay them on the field with actions rather than words,” he said as he entered the locker room, determined to win.

Fans are gathering in Cheongju to see how Han Ho-gang will perform against Chungbuk Cheongju as he has prepared with extra determination after his first loss.