K League-worst Suwon Samsung Bluewings earn 1st win of season

▲ Han Ho-gang of Suwon Samsung Bluewings celebrates his team's 1-0 victory over Incheon United in a K League 1 match at Incheon Football Stadium in Incheon, some 30 kilometers west of Seoul, on May 5, 2023, in this photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Lee Tae-seok of FC Seoul (C) and Andre Luis of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors battle for the ball during the clubs' K League 1 match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul on May 5, 2023. (Yonhap)

▲ Hwang Jae-hwan of Ulsan Hyundai FC celebrates his goal against Daegu FC during the clubs' K League 1 match at DGB Daegu Bank Park in Daegu, 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 5, 2023, in this photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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K League-worst Suwon Samsung Bluewings earn 1st win of season

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, May 5 (Yonhap) -- Suwon Samsung Bluewings won for the first time in the 2023 K League 1 season Friday, ending a franchise-worst winless skid at 10 matches.

Lee Ki-je scored the lone goal in Suwon's 1-0 victory over Incheon United at Incheon Football Stadium in Incheon, some 30 kilometers west of Seoul, on the rainy Children's Day holiday.

Suwon entered the match as the only winless club in the top South Korean football league with two draws and eight losses. The dismal start to the campaign cost head coach Lee Byung-geun his job on April 17. His top assistant, Choi Sung-yong, took over as caretaker manager, but Suwon had lost their first three matches under Choi.

Suwon announced the hiring of former Gangwon FC coach Kim Byung-soo as their new head coach Thursday. Kim watched Friday's win from the stands and will run his first training session Sunday, before his coaching debut with the new team Wednesday against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Suwon, however, remained in last place with just five points, five behind Gangwon FC, who will play their 11th match of the season Saturday.

Elsewhere in the league, Jeonbuk, now playing under caretaker boss Kim Do-heon following Kim Sang-sik's resignation Thursday, played FC Seoul to a 1-1 draw at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Gustavo opened the scoring for Jeonbuk just 11 seconds in, tying the K League record for the fastest goal into a match.

Park Dong-jin got the equalizer for FC Seoul in the 77th minute.

The match drew 37,008 fans, the second-largest crowd at Seoul World Cup Stadium this year.

First-place Ulsan Hyundai FC defeated Daegu FC 3-0 at DGB Daegu Bank Park in Daegu, 290 kilometers southeast of Seoul, for their third consecutive win. They have opened up an eight-point lead over FC Seoul at the top of the tables, 28-20.

Hwang Jae-hwan scored his first career goal in the 11th minute and added another in the 40th minute, with Valeri Qazaishvili also scoring in the 38th minute in the clean-sheet win for Ulsan.

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