Finally, I returned home. Chungbuk Cheongju met fans for the first time at home after finishing a 9-game away stretch. However, I expressed my apologies to Suwon Samsung, who played the away game.

Chungbuk Cheongju recorded a 3-3 draw with Suwon Samsung in the 10th round of K League 2 2025, held on the 4th at Cheongju Sports Complex.

The atmosphere was one-sided until the end of the first half. Pedro, Lee Chang-hoon, and Gabriel scored, leading 3-1.

Suwon managed to score only one goal, thanks to Kim Ji-hyun's effort.

However, in the second half, Suwon Samsung changed. Il-yuchenko and Kwon Wan-kyu shook the net in succession, bringing the match back to level.

The match was the home opener for Chungbuk Cheongju. The season had already been in progress for over three months. The reason for the late home opener was due to the grass. After the end of last season, they had to play 9 consecutive away matches because of replacing the grass at the home stadium. Despite being based in Cheongju, they were a wandering team in K League 2.

The grass work was undoubtedly a great success. On that day, the grass at Cheongju Sports Complex was so smooth and dense that it left officials speechless. Previously, the grass condition, which made it unclear whether the ball bounced or stopped, had always been a problem, but now it received high praise as 'the best grass in K League 2.' In fact, it was even harder to find places where the soil was exposed beneath the grass.

The match supervisor commented, "The grass was better than Cheonan. It had plenty of water and was good grass." Cheonan Sports Complex, the home stadium of Cheonan, had previously been regarded as having the best grass among domestic football fields, including the K League. The grass at Cheongju Sports Complex received evaluations higher than that of Cheonan.

Additionally, Chungbuk Cheongju made significant improvements in response to the concerns raised by away fans regarding restroom issues. They worked hard to provide the best experience possible for the visitors, the Suwon Samsung squad and fans, who were the first guests in their newly constructed home stadium.

Before their first home game, Chungbuk Cheongju even held a ritual to strengthen their resolve. The grass was perfect, the fans were filled with expectations, and the players were fired up. That intense determination was expressed in the form of three goals in the first half.

However, Suwon Samsung's head coach Byun Seong-hwan, who battled fiercely against Chungbuk Cheongju, was not satisfied. He could not hide his disappointment regarding the grass, which everyone praised.

After recording a draw after much difficulty, Coach Byun said, "I thought we would have a good game on the new field with good grass. If the grass was in good condition, I worried a lot because there was not a drop of moisture. I anticipated that we would make mistakes due to how the ball got caught up while rolling, and we lost a lot of momentum as a result."

He continued, "We fought against the wind, and without any moisture on the grass, it did not roll properly. I had many concerns, and our players had difficulties in adapting. It's true that we faced challenges because of that. Afterward, the players needed to adapt and respond, but they couldn't do so, which is regrettable. I don't want to make excuses."

Coach Byun's complaints didn't stop there. He openly expressed his disappointment that the issues with water and wind had a significant impact on the game.

Additionally, Coach Byun remarked, "The players said they couldn't see the dropping points in the sunlight due to the wind. If I keep talking about moisture, the success rate would have been higher if there had actually been moisture. However, it turned out to be lower due to competition with the opponent. In the second half, with the wind at our backs, we were absolutely in a favorable position. I thought we could turn the game around and believed we would score. I regret that we couldn't turn it around. The messiness in the first half was an issue. I don't know since it started before the game."

Besides the issues of water, wind, and sunlight, Coach Byun also expressed disappointment about something else: the speaker that appeared during the halftime event. He said, "It's our home opener, but there were many speakers placed in front of the locker, making it difficult to hold a meeting. I don't know if the same inconvenience was experienced by both sides, but it was significant. If the home team faced the same issues, they would have also experienced the same inconvenience. We prepared to have a good home game, but it was messy during the game. This is not an excuse, but it was disappointing. I told the players it was messy and to focus on the game, but ultimately, an incident occurred."

Chungbuk Cheongju's head coach Kwon Oh-kyu, who invited the guests, did not forget his apologies. Coach Kwon, who played under the same circumstances as the opponent, said, "The grass is excellent. Our players have been wandering and struggling for a long time, and it's great that they can now play soccer on good grass." He added, "I apologize, but we can consider it a home advantage. Playing in front of home fans felt great. Many more people supported us. No matter which stadium we go to, we've always played with that kind of atmosphere. I think the messiness is an excuse. We were good."

Meanwhile, an official from Chungbuk Cheongju stated, "If the away team experienced any discomfort, we truly apologize. We worked hard in coordination with Cheongju City and prepared diligently. We will improve the aspects that can be resolved from the feedback received. We will continuously strive to meet the satisfaction of Chungbuk Cheongju fans and away fans."

[Photo provided by the league.]

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