In the Coupang Play K League Super Cup 2026, Daejeon Hana Citizen will challenge Jeonbuk Hyundai for their first title of the season. Hwang Sun-hong said ahead of the one-off match for the season's first trophy, "We don't need second place," showing strong resolve.
The match, held on the 21st at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, is a tournament revived for the first time since 2006, and last season's runner-up Daejeon will face double champion Jeonbuk as the challenger.
Daejeon strengthened attacking speed and transitional ability by adding Eom Won-sang and Rubickson along with Joo Min-kyu, and is aiming for a new flow by prioritizing organizational balance. Given that a one-off match favors the team that seizes the momentum first, attention is focused on whether Daejeon can continue its upward trend with a trophy before the season opener.
Ahead of the match, Daejeon manager Hwang Sun-hong candidly revealed the significance of this tournament, the team's situation and his perspective on facing Jeonbuk Hyundai. Regarding growing expectations from fans, he said, "There is always pressure," and added, "We finished second last year, but I don't think second place is necessary. One team will cry, and I hope that team is not us."
The fact that it is a one-off match held at the start of the season is also a variable. Hwang said, "How calm the team remains can be the quality. In a one-off match, maintaining composure and control is most important." On the possibility of hiding tactics because the match has a strong showcase character, he drew a line, saying, "You don't need to pick methods to win. This is not a situation to hide; we must give our all."
He continued with his evaluation of opponent Jeonbuk Hyundai. He said, "Although the coach and players have changed a lot, they have resilience and quality. Since it's a home game, it won't be an easy match," and added, "We must play humbly as challengers." He went on to add, "The team can advance another step by overcoming such difficulties."
He viewed the condition of the newly joined players positively. Hwang said, "There is a difference between practice matches and official matches. I trust the experienced players," and predicted, "If we only keep our composure, it will be a good contest." On whether Diogo, who starts this match on the bench, will be used, he explained, "He needs adaptation time. We are considering bringing him on depending on the second-half situation."
He also emphasized the symbolism of this match. He said, "Whether we win or not, if we cannot handle this kind of pressure, we cannot be in contention for the title. It's a proving stage to see whether players can perform under pressure," and added, "The team can develop further by enduring this situation together with the players."
He also mentioned the reason for naming only seven substitutes. Hwang explained, "We slimmed down the squad by sending some 22-year-old resources on loan considering the growth gap. There are worries about lack of personnel, but we have to manage it as we have to compete in multiple tournaments."
Finally, regarding Jeonbuk's changes this season, he predicted the match pattern, saying, "Last year they defended strongly and made their attacking build-up simple, but this time they seem to prefer more constructive play."
Daejeon will line up in a 4-4-2 formation. Joo Min-kyu and Masa lead the attack, Rubickson, Lee Soon-min, Kim Bong-soo and Eom Won-sang fill the midfield. Lee Myung-jae, Anton, Kim Min-deok and Kim Moon-hwan make up the back four, and Lee Chang-geun guards the goal.
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