Suwon Samsung finally smiled at the last moment. A dramatic goal beyond the added time in the second half and the winning goal confirmed after VAR review saved Suwon.
Suwon beat Cheonan 3-2 in the Hana Bank K League 2 2026 round 13 home match held at Suwon World Cup Stadium on the 25th. Paulinho's dramatic winning goal that came right before the end of the match decided the outcome.
With this victory, Suwon moved up to second in the league with 8 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses (26 points). It also ended a streak of two consecutive matches without a win. On the other hand, Cheonan remained with 3 wins, 6 draws and 3 losses (15 points).
The early momentum of the match was entirely with Suwon. Using high possession they pressed Cheonan's side and continuously created set-piece opportunities.
Eventually the opening goal also came from a corner kick. In the 23rd minute of the first half, Song Joo-ho connected with a header to a ball played up by Kim Do-yeon, and the ball hit the crossbar and fell inside the goal line. The referee immediately declared the goal and Suwon took the lead.
After that Suwon maintained its superiority in possession and continued to press Cheonan. Cheonan dropped their defensive line to look for counterattack opportunities, and Suwon kept pushing forward aggressively.
But the flow completely changed in the second half.
Cheonan increased the intensity of their forward press and began to disrupt Suwon's buildup. In the 12th minute of the second half, Lee Dong-hyeop drove into the center and then played a pass into the box; the ball deflected off Suwon's Ko Seung-beom and Lee Sang-jun finished with a right-footed volley. The ball went toward goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong's center but was not handled cleanly, resulting in an equalizer.
Riding the momentum, Cheonan continued to attack down the right flank. In particular, Lee Sang-jun's dribbles and crosses were threatening. Suwon's defense wavered and the match flow seemed to briefly shift to Cheonan's side.
But Suwon had a solver. In the 28th minute of the second half, Illyuchenko connected Lee Geon-hee's right-side cross with an accurate header to retake the lead. It was Illyuchenko's first goal in 10 league matches. It was a decisive blow that opened a breath for Suwon's stifled attack.
But Cheonan did not give up until the end. In the 41st minute of the second half, Lee Jun-ho dove during a run into the box and pushed the ball in with his right foot to make it 2-2. The stadium was suddenly filled with tension.
And at the final moment controversy and cheers erupted simultaneously.
In added time of the second half Suwon won a corner kick. In the chaotic situation in front of the goal, Cheonan goalkeeper Park Dae-han lost the ball and Paulinho pushed the spilled ball in. At first there was a suggestion of goalkeeper charging, but after VAR review the goal was allowed.
Meanwhile, Gimpo earned a 1-0 victory on the road at Paju thanks to Kim Sung-Joon's winning goal that came just before the end of the second half.
[Photo] provided by the federation.
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