Part 1
The rescheduled Round 8 match snuck up on me because I forgot to write the new date in my diary. It was postponed due to Suwon's involvement in the AFC Women's Champions League, and that is probably the reason Seoul was able to get their own match rescheduled in the previous round.
Since losing in the AFC semi-finals, Suwon have been beating up on WK League teams. I don't expect Seoul to have much of a chance tonight.
Despite the unexpected schedule change, Gogga joins me. I'm always happy when she comes along because we both get to relax outside the house. Gogga brings the beer; I arrange the food. United Man also made it tonight, and he brought snacks to thank us for sharing ours at the previous match. We are clearly well supplied and don't need to make a HomePlus run this evening.
This season, HomePlus has become a character in its own right in my match reports. Unfortunately, its fortunes have not improved. News reports say that the Seoul Bankruptcy Court has officially terminated HomePlus' corporate rehabilitation process. The company now has two weeks to appeal the decision and somehow come up with KRW 200 billion (about USD 130 million) in emergency operating funds. Around 100,000 workers are anxiously waiting to hear what happens next. It is not something you wish on anyone, especially with the difficult economic situation so many people around the world are facing.
Back to the stadium, another Seoul City Hall youth team is in the stands tonight. They are definitely older than the previous group, and I assume they are high school students.
Seoul City Hall is the only club with such a complete development pathway. That is largely thanks to the city's size and population density. Most other WK League clubs have to rely on short-term partnerships with different schools. However, there is a push to make the WK League fully professional, and professionalism usually comes with stricter youth development requirements.
I also learned that Dongsan Information Industry High School is one of the traditional powerhouses of girls' football in Korea. Even Suwon captain and Korean legend Jo So-Yeon is a former student.
Like their younger counterparts, tonight's youth team seems to come with activation buttons. The moment someone starts a chant or cheer, they immediately join in without any hesitation. And even more than their younger counterparts, they watch the match closely. Unlike most spectators who blame the ref for everything, you can often hear them say things like "I guess the ref had a better view."
On the field, Ji So-Yeon is expected to retire at the end of the season, but judging by the way she has been playing over the last few weeks, she may end up changing her mind. She dominates the first half and is directly responsible for Suwon's opening goal.
Seoul seem overly defensive tonight, lining up with a back four that quickly turns into a back five whenever Suwon attack.
During the half-time break, I spot the former national team coach and go over to say hello. He is always friendly and happy to chat, but I don't want to take up too much of his time. Other people want to speak to him as well, and he probably wants to enjoy the football, so I leave after a bit of small talk.
As I return to my seat, I notice one of the Suwon coaches walking towards the dressing room. Koreans are not exactly famous for luxurious beards. Most men seem to have about fifteen facial hairs in total, and many probably don't know which side of a razor is the sharp one. I exaggerate, of course, but a thick beard like that coach's is genuinely rare here. I have something that vaguely resembles a beard, but it is nowhere near thick enough to qualify as a good one. I have to admit I feel a little envious.
I also notice some interesting weather conditions. It is humid this evening, but thankfully not too hot. The weather creates a light mist that hangs over the pitch at the start of the second half. It is with that cloud still floating over the field that Suwon score their second goal.
A corner is curled into the penalty area, and the goalkeeper catches it cleanly. Unfortunately, she catches it while moving backwards and carries the ball over the goal line. She quickly pushes it back out, but it is too late. The assistant referee has a clear view and immediately signals that the whole ball crossed the line.
The rest of the second half follows much the same pattern. Suwon string together accurate passes with confidence, while Seoul work incredibly hard but achieve very little. Whenever Suwon have possession, they almost always find runners with well-weighted, accurate passes. Seoul, on the other hand, often seem to pass simply for the sake of passing. More often than not, the ball is played to teammates already surrounded by Suwon defenders or into empty space where a Suwon player arrives first.
Sometime during the second half, Suwon add a third goal, but for me the bigger story is that Seoul are finally able to use a full set of substitutes again. It has been quite a while since they have had enough healthy players to make tactical changes late in a match. The fresh legs make little difference, though, and the game finishes with Seoul unable to score.
As we leave the stadium, we bump into an old acquaintance. He tells me, "I come to one or two matches every season. Last year Seoul were decent, but this year they're dog s*** again."
It may be a little harsh, but it is not far from the truth. Thankfully, my main reason for supporting this team has always been their fighting spirit rather than their winning record.
Part 2
Suwon had a midweek match against fellow league challengers Hwacheon. That was good news for Seoul because hopefully it took a bit out of the legs of the Suwon players. Even so, I still do not have high expectations for tonight.
Before the match, I head into the main stadium to find something to eat. That is where our extra character, HomePlus, is located. The deadline for their appeal is early next week, and it seems they have accepted the inevitable. Everything in the store is discounted by as much as 50%. Their already inexpensive house brand is now even cheaper, and news reports say people are arriving with shopping baskets and stripping entire shelves of single products like avocado oil.
It is going to be a stressful time for the employees, many of whom may soon be out of work. There is nothing I can do to change their fortunes, and all I can do is carry on with my own life.
At the stadium, a few fans have already arrived by the time I get there. Among them are several Suwon supporters. They are not the singing supporters, but the quieter type, much like myself. One woman is wearing Suwon's AFC Women's Champions League shirt. She looks as though she might be Brazilian, and I cannot help but wonder whether the shirt was a gift from Suwon's Brazilian player. It's wild speculation, though, because I'm afraid of offending her by asking, "Hey! You look Brazilian. Are you friends with Milena (Barreto de Oliveira)?"
Another supporter is wearing an away shirt covered in player signatures. I really envy Suwon fans. They can actually buy merchandise, and their players seem more than happy to interact with supporters. It's something I desperately wish Seoul had. Having said that, I am sure Seoul's players would also happily sign an autograph book, but a signed shirt is something special.
Wait... Kim Min-Ji? The team's star midfielder is playing in goal? Is she even trained for this? This is going to be an interesting match.
Suwon is not without their visual interest either. In fact, they are visually one of the most interesting teams in the WK League. Last season, their Milena wore the normal short, fairly tight shorts that are common in the European and American leagues. It even caused a small controversy when one YouTuber blurred her shorts whenever she appeared in his videos.
There was nothing wrong with her shorts, other than that it was different from what almost every other player wore. In East Asia, at least, the fashion is to basically wear the same kit as the men. However, this season Suwon seems to be bucking this trend. While Milena's shorts are slightly longer and looser, other players have gone in the opposite direction, with shorts coming in various lengths and tightnesses.
Forward, Haruhi, dyes her hair a dark brown, and together with her build she constantly tricks my brain into thinking she is European. Even the way she runs feels different from what I have become used to seeing in East Asian football.
Ji So-Yeon is easy to recognise as well thanks to her broad headband. Little visual quirks like these make players easy to follow without even looking at their shirt numbers. That is not always the case, especially when watching matches on television.
For the opening twenty minutes, Suwon do not look nearly as dominant as they did last week. Seoul even give the impression that they might be able to fight for a point.
Seoul's defender, Bin Hyun-Ji, goes in for a tackle and catches the Suwon player on the knee. The injured player immediately cries out in pain. The referee first produces a yellow card, but while the medical staff are treating the player, the officials confer and upgrade it to a straight red.
Naturally, this leads to an animated confrontation between the Seoul coach and the referee. She is shouting loudly enough that I expect a booking at any moment, yet somehow she escapes without even a yellow card.
Meanwhile, I am sitting in the stands half-heartedly shouting, "My phone has VAR!" at the officials. I doubt they even hear me. The decision stands, and we all know Seoul's uphill battle has just become a mountain.
Despite being down to ten players, Seoul defend surprisingly well. About fifteen minutes later, however, Suwon score with a fairly soft finish that slips past the stand-in goalkeeper.
It is easy to say she should have done better, but how much can you expect from someone who is not even a recognised goalkeeper?
His shouting is regularly interrupted by two men sitting in the front row watching baseball on a phone with the volume turned all the way up. Why come to a football match if you would rather watch baseball? Thankfully, they disappear during the half-time break.
The first half ends with Seoul trailing only 1-0.
The stands are fairly quiet during the break. The former national team coach is here again, so I walk over to say hello. We chat briefly about the red card and how it may have spoiled the match, but I also say I do not think it will affect the outcome of the match. He agrees and says this may be the weakest Seoul team he has ever seen. In his opinion, their biggest problem is the lack of dangerous strikers.
He is the expert, not me, so from now on I suppose my opinion is that Seoul need to strengthen their attack.
As the players return for the second half, the player who was sent off walks into the stands wearing her training kit and sits with who I assume is her family. Another player, probably injured, joins her.
I once saw two injured Incheon players sitting in the stands during a match. A group of young girls asked for autographs, and both players happily signed for them. I suspect most footballers are like that.
Which gives me an idea. I will try to make friends with the dog people, because they know the players well. Maybe they can help me get my banner signed by the team. For this, I will need much more than social baby steps.
During the second half, Suwon's control steadily grows, although Seoul continue to defend far better than I expected. They even manage a few promising attacks of their own.
The mysterious voice is still echoing from the woods, constantly reminding the Seoul players to concentrate. I still cannot understand why the man is standing out there when there are plenty of empty seats inside the stadium. At least his shouting is relevant to the football, unlike the unwanted live baseball commentary from earlier.
Seoul hold out until the 85th minute before the pressure finally tells. They concede two quick goals in succession, and what had looked like a respectable defeat quickly becomes another 3-0 loss.
It is not a goalkeeping performance anyone will remember, and the worrying news is that Seoul's first-choice goalkeeper is expected to miss another three weeks. For Kim Min-Ji's sake, I hope the second-choice keeper is fit by the next match. It is unfair to expect a midfielder to regularly perform one of the most specialised jobs on the pitch.
The next match is away to Incheon on Saturday. I am curious to see who turns up for that one, although I am fairly certain at least one of the dog owners will be there. "Greet them and speak a few words" is now on my TODO list.
Round 8 Results
Seoul City Hall Amazones 0-3 Suwon FC Women
Round 9 Results
Gangjin Swans 1-2 Mungyeong Sangmu
Hwacheon KSPO 1-2 Suwon FC Women
Round 15 Results
Seoul City Hall Amazones 0-3 Suwon FC Women
Sejong Sportstoto 0-1 Mungyeong Sangmu
Hwacheon KSPO 5-1 Gangjin Swans
Gyeongju KHNP 2-1 Incheon Hyunsai Steel Red Angels
League Standings
| Team | Played | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Suwon | 15 | 36 |
| 2. Hwacheon | 13 | 28 |
| 3. Mungyeong | 15 | 23 |
| 4. Incheon | 14 | 21 |
| 5. Gyeongju | 15 | 20 |
| 6. Sejong | 15 | 17 |
| 7. Seoul | 14 | 15 |
| 8. Gangjin | 15 | 8 |
