Pohang edges Anyang

[Anchor]

In the K League 1, Pohang achieved their third consecutive victory by defeating Anyang, who are in urgent need of escaping the relegation zone.

Lee Ho-jae's opening goal turned out to be the winning goal, but a controversial moment arose regarding a 'elbowing' foul, leaving a bitter aftertaste regarding the referee's decision.

Reporter Kim Hwa-young has the details.

[Report]

Despite concerns over the injury absence of 'the core of the midfield' Ki Sung-yueng, Pohang skillfully dismantled Anyang's defense with a fluid three-man passing sequence.

Lee Ho-jae received Jorge's precise cross and finished it cleanly.

Pohang's opening goal came just five minutes into the first half, with Lee Ho-jae scoring his 11th goal of the season, igniting the competition for the top scorer title, earning him the nickname 'K-Haaland.'

However, Lee Ho-jae found himself in a precarious situation during first-half stoppage time.

In a contest for the ball, Lee Ho-jae's elbow struck Kim Jeong-hyun's face, but the referee seemed to determine there was no intent and immediately issued a yellow card.

However, Kim Jeong-hyun was left with a deep wound on his face, and not only the Anyang fans but also the coaching staff strongly protested, questioning whether it should have been a red card.

Lee Ho-jae was relieved to only receive a warning, but it was another moment that made fans question the recent K League refereeing decisions.

On the other hand, Anyang faced a setback when Kwon Kyung-won received a direct red card for dangerous play after elbowing Juninho during a contest for the ball in the closing minutes of the second half.

Ultimately, Pohang held on defensively during the remaining stoppage time and secured a narrow 1-0 victory thanks to Lee Ho-jae's winning goal.

[Lee Ho-jae/Pohang: "In this match, I think I was able to finish the winning goal because our defenders worked so hard, and that's how we could achieve this third consecutive victory."]

Gangwon, despite Jeju's Kim Jun-ha being sent off due to accumulated yellow cards, showed disappointing finishing in front of the goal, resulting in a 0-0 draw.

This is KBS News, Kim Hwa-young.