K League 1's Gangwon suffers 'shocking defeat' at home against Cambodia's Phnom Penh... Mired in winless streak of two matches

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Gangwon FC, caught off guard by a Southeast Asian dark horse on home turf, suffered a shocking defeat on the Asian stage. The K League team lost its dignity by bowing to the Cambodian club, which had been considered a lower-tier opponent at home.

On the 15th, Gangwon lost 1-2 to Phnom Penh Crown (Cambodia) in their home match for the second round of the group stage of the 2026~2027 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League 2 (ACL2), held at GangneungHigh1 Resort Arena.

Having drawn with Kitchee (Hong Kong) in the first match, Gangwon's record in the group stage stood at one draw and one loss due to this defeat. On the other hand, Phnom Penh secured a win away from home, achieving two wins in two matches.

Gangwon deployed a 4-4-2 formation on this day. Abudala and Park Sang-hyeok formed the front-line duo, while Jo Won-woo, Lee Yong-jae, Kim I-seok, and Kang Yun-gu made up the midfield. The four-back defensive line consisted of Hong Chul, Kang Seong-yoon, Go Eun-seok, and Kim Do-hyun, with Kim Yu-sung guarding the goal.

In the first half, Gangwon took control of the game but failed to convert chances into goals. Lee Yong-jae's long-range shot in the 36th minute was blocked by the opposing goalkeeper's save, and Jo Won-woo's shot from inside the box went wide.

Phnom Penh scored the opening goal. In the 44th minute of the first half, Gito Milan hit a right-footed long-range shot from outside the penalty area to shake the net. Gangwon ended the first half trailing 0-1.

Gangwon launched a counterattack in the second half. In the 15th minute of the second half, Park Sang-hyeok won a penalty after being fouled by opposing defender Rick Keting inside the penalty area. Abudala, who took the kick, calmly converted the penalty in the 16th minute to level the score at 1-1.

However, the balance did not last long. In the 32nd minute of the second half, defender Jung Seung-bin committed a foul on Moses Dyer inside the penalty area, conceding a penalty. In the 33rd minute, Dyer, who took the kick, finished with his right foot, allowing Phnom Penh to regain the lead 2-1.

Gangwon intensified its offensive by bringing on Choi Ji-nan and Yoo Byung-heon. During stoppage time in the second half, Kang Seong-yoon's header, Jo Won-woo's shot, and Yoo Byung-heon's right-footed shot came in succession, but all were blocked by the goalkeeper's saves and defensive blocks. As all six minutes of added time elapsed, the match ended with Gangwon's 1-2 defeat.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original