Pohang Steelers Secure Victory with Jorge's Stellar Performance

On May 27, 2025, the Pohang Steelers achieved a remarkable comeback victory against Daejeon Hana Citizen, winning 3-1 in the 16th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 at Daejeon World Cup Stadium. Jorge played a pivotal role, contributing one goal and one assist, leading Pohang to their second consecutive win and elevating them to fourth place with 25 points, just ahead of Gimcheon Sangmu with 24 points. This match also served as redemption for Pohang after their 0-3 defeat in the season opener against Daejeon.

Daejeon made a slight adjustment to their lineup, replacing Masa with Kim Jun-beom, who joined Lee Soo-min and Kang Yoon-seong in the midfield. Up front, Joo Min-kyu was supported by Kim Hyun-oh and Choi Geon-joo, while the defense consisted of Park Jin-seong, Ha Chang-rae, Kim Hyun-woo, and Oh Jae-seok, with Lee Chang-geun in goal. Players like Gu Teok, Masa, Kelvin, Jeong Jae-hee, and Kim Hyun-wook started on the bench.

Pohang maintained the same lineup as in their previous match against Anyang, featuring a front three of Jorge, Lee Ho-jae, and Juninho. The midfield was anchored by Kim Dong-jin and Oberdan, with Lee Tae-seok and Eo Jeong-won on the flanks. The three-man defense included Han Hyun-seo, Jeon Min-gwang, and Shin Gwang-hoon, while Hwang In-jae donned the goalkeeper gloves. On the bench were Jo Sang-hyuk, Hong Yoon-sang, Kim In-seong, and Kang Min-jun.

Before the match, Pohang's coach Hwang Sun-hong expressed his determination to win against his friend, Daejeon's coach Park Tae-ha, stating, "In the world of competition, there are no friends. We will fight to the end." He also mentioned the difficulty of making substitutions due to the players' conditions and emphasized the importance of controlling possession against Daejeon's cohesive play.

Park Tae-ha noted that his players were in good form, which made changes unnecessary, and he aimed to avenge their earlier defeat. He highlighted the significance of scoring first in the match.

The match kicked off with Pohang creating an early chance in the fifth minute when Juninho attempted a powerful left-footed shot that narrowly missed the left post. Daejeon responded quickly, with Kang Yoon-seong's shot deflecting off a defender, leading to Kim Hyun-oh's attempt from the edge of the box that went just over the crossbar.

Daejeon took the lead in the 13th minute when Park Jin-seong delivered a left-footed free kick that Joo Min-kyu converted with a deft header, marking his tenth goal of the season despite attempts from Oberdan and Shin Gwang-hoon to block it.

Daejeon continued to press, with Lee Soon-min attempting consecutive shots that missed the target. In the 19th minute, Kang Yoon-seong fired a powerful shot from the arc that also went over.

Pohang began to fight back in the 23rd minute, with Shin Gwang-hoon delivering a sharp cross that Juninho headed just wide. Daejon's Choi Geon-joo then made a strong play to win the ball high up the pitch, leading to a long-range shot from Kang Yoon-seong that missed.

In the 32nd minute, Pohang equalized when Jorge, after a strong run down the left, retrieved a lost ball and assisted Lee Tae-seok, who crossed for Lee Ho-jae to score with a header, marking his seventh goal of the season.

Pohang took the lead in the 36th minute when Jorge finally found the net himself. After a strong run down the left, he collected a cleared ball and, after evading a defender, unleashed a powerful right-footed shot that left goalkeeper Lee Chang-geun with no chance. This was Jorge's first goal of the season.

The first half ended with Pohang leading 2-1 after Lee Ho-jae's header was saved by Lee Chang-geun in the 40th minute.

In the second half, Daejeon made substitutions, bringing in Kelvin and Kim Hyun-wook for Choi Geon-joo and Kim Hyun-oh. Pohang also replaced Juninho with Kim In-seong. Early in the half, Pohang continued to apply pressure, with Lee Tae-seok's long-range shot deflecting off a defender and Lee Ho-jae's powerful shot from the arc going just wide.

Daejeon attempted to counter, with Oh Jae-seok making a rare attacking contribution, but their efforts were thwarted. In the 26th minute, Pohang sealed the victory when Jorge made a central run and delivered a perfect through ball to Kim In-seong, who scored with a right-footed shot.

Daejeon made further substitutions but struggled to capitalize on their chances, with several crosses failing to find their mark. In the closing minutes, Daejeon pressed for a goal, but Pohang's defense held firm, and the match concluded with a 3-1 victory for Pohang Steelers.