The winless stretch had been long. Pohang Steelers had not smiled once in the four matches after the season opener: three draws and one loss. Their standings slipped lower and the mood grew heavy. Only three teams in K League 1 still had not won a match. Two of those met at the Steel Yard. Pohang was the side that smiled.
On the 28th at Pohang Steel Yard in the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 round 2 rescheduled match, Pohang beat Gangwon FC 1-0. The matchwinner was Lee Ho-jae. In the 27th minute of the second half, amid a scramble in front of goal, Lee Ho-jae reacted fastest and pushed the ball in with his right foot to give Pohang its first win of the season.
The match was originally scheduled to be played on the 7th. It was pushed back considering Gangwon's 2025-2026 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) round of 16 schedule, and in the end both teams faced each other at the Steel Yard having played one fewer match.
Until before the match the two teams were in similar positions. Pohang had three draws and one loss, Gangwon had three draws and one loss. They both had three points and neither had a first win yet. Pohang was 10th, ahead only on goal difference, and Gangwon was 11th.
With the win Pohang rose to 1 win, 3 draws and 1 loss, totaling six points, jumping up to seventh place. Meanwhile, Gangwon fell to 11th with 3 draws and 2 losses and three points.
The match itself was as frustrating as the teams' situations. Gangwon unsettled Pohang from the start with strong high pressing. Pohang countered with long passes toward Lee Ho-jae and Jorge, and the two forwards' height and holding power.
In the 12th minute of the first half Pohang produced the first threatening scene. The attack started from a long pass toward Lee Ho-jae. Nishiya Kento collected the spilled ball and connected it into a powerful long-range shot. Goalkeeper Park Cheong-hyo dived to parry it.
Gangwon also went after set pieces. Abdullah aimed Pohang's goal with a header. It went just wide. Both teams created chances, but finishing was lacking. What emerged in the first 45 minutes was nothing but tension.
Pohang's bench moved immediately at the start of the second half. They took off Nishiya Kento and Kim Yong-hak and brought on Wanderson and Juninho. Gangwon also made a change, taking out Kang Yoon-koo and putting in Ko Young-jun.
It was Wanderson who changed the game. Positioned on the left flank, Wanderson rattled Gangwon's defense throughout the second half. In the 19th minute of the second half he created a decisive chance for Jorge and lifted the mood. Pohang's attacks increasingly went to the wings, and Gangwon's defense began to wobble.
Finally in the 27th minute of the second half the scene Pohang had been waiting for arrived. Park Chan-yong connected the cross from the right flank with a header. Goalkeeper Park Cheong-hyo barely stopped it. The problem came next. The ball spilled into the goal area and Lee Ho-jae was the first to rush in. A composed right-footed shot. The ball shook the net.
With the lead, Pohang immediately brought on Ki Sung-yueng and Tranziska. It was a move to close out the game and to seek an additional goal. Ki Sung-yueng changed the flow as soon as he entered: short, accurate passes, switching play to the flanks, and sharp crosses. It was a demonstration of why experience matters.
Gangwon did not back down. In the 41st minute of the second half they put Park Ho-young up front and even sent center back Kang Tu-ji into the attack. They gambled on an aerial duel for the final outcome.
Pohang did not waver. They maintained concentration from the front line to the defense. In the final moments there was even a chance for another goal. Oh Jung-won intercepted Gangwon's lateral pass, exchanged passes with Tranziska and penetrated the box. He went down and drew a penalty kick.
The Steel Yard erupted. But the video review result was different. After an on-field review the referee overturned the call. The defender's foot reached the ball first, and the penalty kick was canceled.
A one-goal margin. It could have been nerve-wracking. Gangwon sought an equalizer until the end, but they ultimately failed to truly rattle Pohang's goal. The match ended with Pohang's 1-0 victory.
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