Lee Kwan-woo, the Ansan Greeners head coach, expressed satisfaction despite the loss.

Ansan lost 0-3 to Jeonbuk Hyundai in the third round of the 2025 Hana Bank Korea Cup, held at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the evening of the 16th, after a battle that went to extra time. They finished the regular time without conceding a goal but were eliminated after allowing a multi-goal performance from Kompanyo and Jeon Jin-woo's clinching goal in the extra time.

Thus, Jeonbuk became the winner of the first matchup in the history of both teams. Jeonbuk's next opponent is Daejeon Hana Citizen, who advanced after defeating Gangneung City Football Club. Jeonbuk and Daejeon will face each other next month at Daejeon World Cup Stadium.

After the match, Coach Lee Kwan-woo noted, "First of all, today marks the 11th anniversary of the Sewol ferry tragedy. It is a sad day. I thought about what I could do for the citizens of Ansan, and I told the players to respond with a good result. Ultimately, we lost the game, but the players performed well as they had prepared. It was a game where we found many positive factors for our league performance."

He continued, "Seong Myung-sik, who started in the first half, is a player who just graduated from high school and is new to the professional scene. He showed the level of performance we wanted. Lim Ji-min, who came on in the second half, is the same. Although he hasn’t received much opportunity in the league, he seems to have proven himself in this match. We gained a significant harvest."

Having held out against a strong team like Jeonbuk, the players' confidence also increased. Coach Lee Kwan-woo expressed satisfaction, stating, "The players gained a lot of confidence from playing against Jeonbuk. They positively expressed that they can do it. It was a match where what we gained was much more than what we lost."

Park Si-hwa was substituted due to concussion symptoms as the second half began. Coach Lee Kwan-woo explained, "He is feeling a bit better now. He felt something odd in his nose. He was dizzy at the end of the first half. He expressed a desire to keep playing. I understand his feelings, as he is a player who has played for the Jeonbuk B team, but since the player’s health is more important, I curbed that desire. This allowed Lim Ji-min to get an opportunity, and he performed well. In a way, we saved Park Si-hwa while also confirming Lim Ji-min's condition and potential."

[Photo] Provided by the Korea Professional Football League.

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