Bucheon FC 1995 beat Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 3-2 in Round 23 of K League 1, and K League 2 newcomer Paju Frontier won its Round 22 match 2-1 against Seongnam FC on Sunday.
Bucheon FC players celebrate after defeating Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 3-2 in a K League 1 match at Bucheon Stadium in Bucheon, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 16.YONHAP
Written off as being weaker than other teams on paper, Bucheon FC 1995 and Paju Frontier each delivered a statement home win in their respective K League game on Sunday.
Bucheon beat Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 3-2 in a five-goal shootout in Round 23 of K League 1 at Bucheon Stadium, Gyeonggi. The victory extended Bucheon’s unbeaten run against Jeonbuk this season, with three wins and two draws.
It also marked Bucheon’s 100th home win. Founded in 2007, Bucheon spent every season in K League 2, the league’s second tier, until being promoted to the top division for the first time this year.
Manager Lee Yeong-min credited the club’s victory over title-contender Jeonbuk to what he called a “fan culture in which everyone comes together.”
“The atmosphere that our fans create at home games satisfies me just as much as the win itself,” he said. “Ever since our K League 2 days, I dreamed of seeing every fan in the stands cheering together, and it’s deeply rewarding to see that dream become a reality.”
K League 2 newcomer Paju FC also celebrated with its fans on Sunday. In its Round 22 match against Seongnam FC, Paju fell behind by a goal before scoring twice in the second half to clinch a 2-1 comeback victory. The result lifted Paju’s season points total to 24 and pushed the club up to 10th place — the highest ranking among the three new clubs that joined K League 2 this season.
The recent home win was especially urgent for Paju, which hadn’t won at home since beating Gimhae FC 3-1 on April 5 and hadn’t even scored at home since a match against Gyeongnam FC on April 25.
Paju Frontier playersK LEAGUE
On Sunday, striker Lee Je-ho — a former member of Paju Citizen, the club’s amateur predecessor, and the only player from that squad to join as a founding member after the club turned professional — scored his first and second goals of the season back-to-back to secure the win.
“I’m happy that we beat a storied club both away and at home,” Paju manager Gerard Nus said after the match. “As a new club, we’re still in the process of growing. Getting results matters, but it’s just as important that the football that we’re trying to play runs smoothly. I’m glad we could show our skills in front of our home fans.”
“Paju Citizen had a lot of good players, and I was lucky to be the one chosen to join the professional team,” said Lee Je-ho. “Before today’s match, my only point of the season was an assist. These two goals [today] should give me some real confidence.”
BY SONG JI-HOON [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
