"I couldn't raise my head."
Suwon Samsung defeated Paju Frontier FC 1-0 on the 7th at Paju Stadium in the Hana Bank K League 2 2026 round 2 match.
Suwon created several chances throughout the first half but finished the half 0-0 without scoring. A penalty kick earned at the start of the second half ended in disappointment as Kim Ji-hyun's shot was stopped by Kim Min-seung.
Suwon continued to press the attack. In the 25th minute of the second half, Kim Ji-hyun finished Kang Hyun-mook's cross with a header to score the game-winning goal.
Suwon, which protected this goal until the end, recorded back-to-back league wins early in the season by defeating Paju following the season opener victory over Seoul E-Land Group.
After the match, match-winner Kim Ji-hyun, who appeared for the player of the match interview, said, "Many fans came despite the cold weather. I am thankful. I am relieved that we won."
He continued, "I missed the penalty kick that was pushed to me. I made several people uncomfortable. I want to say I'm sorry. I couldn't raise my head. I gathered myself while looking at the fans who cheered and continued the match," he replied.
He was the designated penalty kicker recommended by coach Ma Cheol-jun. Kim Ji-hyun said, "After training ends, the PK kickers practice separately. The attacking work is the same," adding that he had prepared in his own way.
He added, "I apologized for the shameful performance. I was very embarrassed about the missed penalty. In front of the fans who cheer hard...I want to be a player who is not ashamed," he said.
Regarding his performance, he said, "If I had shown even half of the training, a better performance might have come out. I did not reach that level."
On the competition with Ilyuchenko for the striker position, he said, "I don't particularly think about differentiating myself. We are a team that fights as a team. I just try to carry out the coach's orders. I focus on that," he said.
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