“I’ve never bent to the will of the field. As the technical chairman, I always traveled to the stadiums and saw all the teams.”
These were the words of Pohang coach Park Tae-ha “Artaeha” Park, 56, as the team embarked on their second training camp in Jeju in February. He had been in charge of Pohang for just over a month, having been appointed in December last year. Park was already feeling confident. Arteta is the nickname given to Premier League Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta by Park Tae-ha. The Gunners escaped the top four after Arteta’s arrival. They will try to win the Premier League title for the first time in 20 years.
When Pohang chose Park Tae-ha as their new coach, the biggest concern was his practical experience. He is a legendary one-club man for Pohang. His coaching career has also been stellar, with stints as the national team’s head coach, FC Seoul’s head coach, China’s Yanbian Fudor, and China’s women’s B national team. He was the best and only option for Pohang, but his departure in 2019 was unsettling. There were question marks over how he would adapt to the rapidly changing trends of modern soccer, a more advanced K League than in the past, and a squad that was now dominated by sons.
Park Tae-ha served as the K League’s technical committee chairman from 2020 until the end of last year. “Objectively speaking, it can be seen as a void,” he admitted. However, he added, “I never bent the will of the field. I always visited stadiums and watched all the teams,” 토토사이트 explaining that it gave him a broader perspective. “The K League has been leveled upwards. Overall, the pace has increased, and there are teams that come down, teams that press forward, and there are many colors. We will prepare according to the situation.”
With the 2024 season of the K League up to its third round
Park’s words were backed up by results. In the opening match, the team traveled to Ulsan, a strong favorite, and lost 0-1. In the second and third rounds, which were held at home, the team defeated Daegu and Gwangju 3-1 and 1-0, respectively. In the Gwangju game, the team came up with a thoroughly customized tactic against Lee Jung-hyo, who is considered the best strategist in the K League, and produced an upset. K League fans began to praise Park Tae-ha as ‘Ar-Tae-ha’.
The game against Gwangju showed Park’s ability to prepare a specific strategy with a long breath, as well as his ability to improvise with the flow. He made one unplanned substitution in the 43rd minute when Hong Yun-sang was injured. In the fourth minute of the second half, Kim Jong-woo was brought on to add more strength to the back battle. With 15 minutes left in the game, Park Tae-ha had to make a decision, and he made two changes to his attacking lineup. Newcomers Lee Ho-jae and Jeong Jae-hee shared the final goal.
“We had a setback when Hong Yun-sang was taken off, but I felt that we could win if we kept going like this. In fact, Chan-yong Park was not feeling well, which could have been a problem,” Park said of the mercenary move. Pohang was left with two substitutions in the 28th minute of the second half after the score was 0-0. Coach Park Tae-ha explained that he had to save one to be safe in case central defender Park Chan-yong had to come off.
ut he didn’t flinch. They played the game.
“We knew we had to win at home, and it wasn’t an easy choice,” Park said. Some players gave up, even a 22-year-old player, so who knows what they were thinking,” he said, wiping his chest. Park Tae-ha smelled victory and went all-in on the attack. He decided to trust Park Chan-yong. He sent two strikers forward. Lee Ho-jae headed in a long goal kick. 파워볼사이트 추천 Jung Jae-hee scored a theater goal to break Gwangju.
Coach Park Tae-ha said, “I praise the players for decisively turning the result around. As a coach, this is the most rewarding scene,” Park said.
Jung Jae-hee is equally happy. “The coach changed and a lot of players left, so I think it was hard not to be worried (out there), but the coach prepared a lot, too. We also had a good winter training. The atmosphere is good. If we can maintain it, I think we’ll cruise.”