"I was lucky."

Jeonbuk Hyundai and Jeju SK recorded a 1-1 draw in the Hana Bank K League 1 2025 round 8 match held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 13th.

Jeonbuk, with 3 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, earned 12 points, tying with Pohang, but moved up to 6th place due to a better goal difference.

After the match, Jeonbuk head coach Gus Poyet did not hold back in praising veteran defender Hong Jeong-ho.

Poyet said, "If he continues to show this kind of performance today, there is no reason not to utilize him. Although he is older, if he performs well, he can play in the game."

Hong Jeong-ho did not play in the opening match of the season. He was unable to win in fierce competition for a starting position. However, he did not give up. He prepared thoroughly and seized the opportunity to play in the away match against Anyang. Due to the team's circumstances that needed a turnaround, Hong Jeong-ho was brought in to protect it and achieved the goal.

He started in the match against Daejeon. He performed a scoreless defense against Daejeon, which is leading K League 1. It was not solely Hong Jeong-ho's achievement, but his strengths were clearly visible in the match.

On that day, he showcased perfect defense against Jeju. In the 36th minute of the first half, Hong Jeong-ho tackled to block an offensive opportunity from Jeju foreign player Yuri. It was a situation where he perfectly timed his actions. As he proved his value in front of MGB, the fans did not hold back their cheers.

Hong Jeong-ho stated, "It was a situation where luck was on my side. The timing was perfect, and I got good results," and added, "Yuri also said that he had good defense during the match. I was really happy that the fans supported me greatly."

Hong Jeong-ho also contributed to securing 1 point for the team. He assisted Kompanyo's equalizing goal with a header from Lee Seung-woo's corner kick.

Hong Jeong-ho explained, "I thought Lee Seung-woo would take it short," adding, "Of course, I should have scored directly, but I couldn't. I'm grateful to Kompanyo who scored, but I also feel a big sense of guilt."

After the match against Anyang, Hong Jeong-ho, along with Jeonbuk's 2 wins and 1 draw, received praise from Coach Poyet but did not lose his composure.

He pledged, "I don't think of myself as a starter. There are many competitors. I approach every game with patience and intensity. The same goes for training. I will not give up and will strive until the end."

[Photo] Provided by the league.

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