Winger Kim Do-yeon, born in 2005 (21, Suwon Samsung), is winning over coach Lee Jeong-hyo.
Suwon Samsung defeated Busan IPark 3-2 in the 2026 K League 2 round 9 home match held at Suwon World Cup Stadium at 2 p.m. on the 25th. Leading by two goals, they nearly lost the victory after conceding two goals within three minutes, but secured the win with Hays' penalty kick goal just before the end.
With this victory, Suwon recorded 22 points (7 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), erasing the gap with first-place Busan. Busan, which had been on a seven-game winning streak, suffered its first loss of the season and remained at 22 points with 7 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. However, Busan kept the top spot by a narrow margin due to having more goals scored, with Suwon positioned just below them.
It was a match where nothing was certain. Dominating Busan from the start, Suwon took the lead in the 34th minute of the first half with a penalty goal by Kim Do-yeon, and extended the lead in the 11th minute of the second half with an additional goal by Kang Hyun-muk. But in the 27th minute of the second half they conceded from Busan's sudden free kick, and in the 30th minute of the second half they allowed an equalizer with an own goal by Kim Jun-hong.
But the last winner was Suwon. A penalty was awarded for a handball foul by Woo Joo-seong just before the end, and Hays calmly converted it to make it 3-2. It looked like Busan might equalize again with Jang Ho-ik's header during the final attack in the 15th minute of stoppage time in the second half, but it was ruled offside and Suwon took 3 points.
After the match in the mixed zone, Kim Do-yeon said, "To be honest, I wasn't thinking that I had to score before the game. I thought a lot about how to play so that the team could definitely win."
Kim Do-yeon scored his professional debut goal by deceiving the goalkeeper with a bold bouncing move. Coach Lee Jeong-hyo said, "He is gaining confidence now and showing good performances in training. We had already agreed before the match that if a penalty came up, Kim Do-yeon would take it. I thought that a player who grows like this, scores his debut goal and gains confidence would be a big help."
Kim Do-yeon said, "When I earned the penalty kick I told Hays hyung that I wanted to take it. I was able to score because I took it confidently," and regarding the fake movement he said, "I've taken it that way since I was young and I was confident. I practiced a lot. After training, I kept practicing during the remaining exercises."
Immediately after scoring, Kim Do-yeon ran to coach Lee Jeong-hyo. He said, "To be honest I was very nervous before taking the penalty kick. After scoring, I went because I felt a lot of gratitude toward the coach," and added, "It wasn't a burden. I told them I wanted to take it with confidence. The seniors also told me to take it confidently."
Coach Lee Jeong-hyo also has high expectations for Kim Do-yeon's growth. When asked about coach Lee's instructions, Kim Do-yeon answered, "Dribbling is my strength. Until now, when I had the ball in the attacking area I often dribbled looking at the ground, but the coach told me to keep my head up and use teammates. He emphasized that part a lot. He told me to play while looking to see if a teammate is in a better chance."
Until last year Kim Do-yeon played on the university stage for Chung-Ang University. Having caught coach Lee Jeong-hyo's eye and even scored his professional debut goal, he said, "Even when I was at university I always wanted to get to the pros quickly. After coming to the pros I felt more painfully what I needed to do. I learned a lot by watching not only the coach and the staff but also my teammates' play."
What differences did he feel after coming to the professional stage? Kim Do-yeon said, "The intensity of the contests is the biggest difference. I felt it a lot after playing the first match. So I kept finding points to improve match by match and received feedback. I think that's why we got a good result in today's match," and vowed, "First, I need to show more aggressiveness in defensive aspects and fulfill my role well."
Coach Lee Jeong-hyo did not seem satisfied even with the victory that day. He criticized a lack of concentration and warned he would send a strong message to the squad. About this, Kim Do-yeon said, "The coach always seems to want us to grow whether we win or lose. Also when we win he congratulates us on the victory and tells us to fill the shortcomings in the next match. He tells us to prepare better starting from training."
Finally, Kim Do-yeon revealed his goals for this season. He said, "First, the team's winning is the most important. Personally, I want to keep playing in matches and get about 10 attacking points. Whether assists or goals, I want to help the team," he said emphatically.
[Photo] Korea Professional Football League (KPFL), Suwon Samsung social media.
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