Seoul, South Korea - Gimpo FC emerged victorious against Gyeongnam FC in a crucial playoff match in the K League 2, South Korea's second division of football. The 2-1 win on Saturday at Gimpo Solteo Football Field in Gyeonggi Province propels Gimpo FC to the final stage of their bid for promotion to the K League 1 next season.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the match saw goals from Luis Fabian Mina and Kim Jong-suk for Gimpo FC, while Won Ki-jong scored for Gyeongnam FC. Gyeongnam faced a setback late in the first half when midfielder Seol Hyeon-jin received a red card for a foul, leaving the team with ten players.
Gimpo FC now faces a two-legged promotion-relegation playoff against Gangwon FC, the 10th-ranked team from K League 1. The first leg will be hosted by Gimpo at 7 p.m. next Wednesday, and the second leg will take place at Gangwon FC's home ground at 2 p.m. next Saturday.
In another promotion-relegation playoff match, Busan IPark, the runners-up of K League 2, will compete against Suwon FC, who finished 11th in K League 1. The first leg of this match is scheduled at Busan's home ground at 7 p.m. next Wednesday, with the return leg at Suwon at 2 p.m. next Saturday.
The decisive goals in Gimpo's victory came first from Mina, who scored from inside the box at the 29-minute mark. Gyeongnam quickly equalized with Won Ki-jong's goal, but Gimpo reclaimed their lead during first-half added time, thanks to Kim Jong-suk's left-footed volley after an initial save by Gyeongnam's goalkeeper.
Despite Gyeongnam having a goal disallowed for offside later in the match, Gimpo held on to secure their place in the upcoming playoff. This achievement marks significant progress for Gimpo FC, which joined K League 2 in 2022 and finished third in the regular season this year after placing eighth in their inaugural campaign.