[Daejeon] – Daejeon Hana Citizen head coach Hwang Sun-hong expressed his frustration after yet another home match ended without a victory, admitting that the delayed win is taking a toll on his players’ mindset.
Speaking at a press conference following the 0-0 draw against Incheon United in the 12th round of the K League 1 on Tuesday, Hwang said, “The home win keeps slipping away, and we are starting to look tense. I feel sorry for the fans. We will prepare well and fight for a victory in the next game.”
The stalemate at Daejeon World Cup Stadium left Daejeon in fifth place with 16 points, extending their unbeaten run to three games. Incheon, meanwhile, moved up to seventh with 15 points.
Despite scoring nine goals in their previous two matches, Daejeon failed to find the net this time. Coach Hwang pinpointed the lack of effective crosses and simple transition play as key issues. “In the early stages of the first half, we had chances on the wings but couldn’t deliver competitive crosses. Our middle-of-the-park switching was not simple enough,” he explained. “The players gave their best, but they seem to lose composure in front of the home fans. They want to win so badly that it shows in rushing decisions.”
On forward Diogo, Hwang noted, “He is improving steadily and is a threat to opponents, but we need to use him more effectively. The connection with teammates still needs work. We have to get the most out of him.”
The clean sheet was a silver lining. Hwang praised his defensive unit, which included three new faces. “Against dangerous attackers like Gerso, Pereira, and Mugosa, the three defenders stayed focused. That’s a positive takeaway.”
When asked about the late-stage decision to field a two-striker formation with Diogo and Joo Min-kyu, which failed to produce results, Hwang said, “To make a two-top work, it’s better to have midfielders on the wings rather than pure wingers. With players like Rubikson or Seo Jin-soo on the flanks, it can become too predictable. The tactical balance matters more than just numbers. We haven’t trained much on the two-striker system, but we have good forwards, so we need to figure out how to utilize them through meetings and sharing ideas.”
