“Ramas finishes with two penalties” In a game that could decide whether Busan I-Park gets promoted or Suwon FC avoids relegation, Busan’s Ramas scored a brace to push Suwon FC to the brink of relegation.
Busan IPark raised its hopes for promotion to the top flight with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Suwon FC in the Hana OneQ K League Promotion Playoffs (PO) at the Busan Asiad Stadium on Saturday afternoon. If they do not lose by more than two goals in the second leg at Suwon Sports Complex on April 9 at 2 p.m., they will be promoted to the top division for the first time in four years.
Suwon FC took the early lead. In the 42nd minute, Jang Jae-woong’s left-footed strike grazed the fingertips of Busan goalkeeper Koo Sang-min and went straight into the goal. As if to drive a wedge, Suwon FC immediately substituted Lopez and Lee Seung-woo after the goal.
With a one-goal deficit, Busan tried to turn the tide in the second half by making quick moves. In the 26th minute, Lee Hando headed in a corner kick from Ramas, but it didn’t find the back of the net. Ramas followed up with a mid-range shot that didn’t go in either.
The real test came in the 34th minute of the second half. A penalty kick was called for a foul on Lee Seung-woo, giving Korea a crucial free kick opportunity. On top of that, Lee was sent off for accumulating fouls. In the 39th minute of the second half, Ramas stepped up to take the free kick. His goal tied the game at one.
In the second half’s extra time, Busan’s Kim Jung-hwan was tripped by Kim Sun-min in a contest, and Busan was awarded another penalty kick, which Ramas converted to complete the thrilling upset.
In a post-match interview, Ramas said, “It was a tough game against the top-ranked Suwon FC, but we were able to show what we were prepared for.” “After the Chungbuk Cheongju game, we returned to training and had a lot of conversations with each other and boosted our spirits for the remaining two games, which led to a good result,” he said.
”I think Suwon FC will be more aggressive in the second leg, but I think our players will have learned a lot from facing a first-team player today. I think they will respond with confidence.”
Meanwhile, 10th-ranked Gangwon FC, who finished the K League 2 regular season in third place, will look forward to the second leg after a goalless draw with Gimpo FC, who moved up to P0.