Gyeongnam FC: A half way season report

Gyeongnam FC was relegated into K League 2 after losing a relegation playoff doubleheader against bitter rivals Busan I Park back in 2019.  The clubs venture into a lower division hasn't been all that plain sailing at all, challenging is a better term to use.  

Firstly our manager changed from Kim Jung-boo to former Korean international and Premier League star Seol Ki-hyeon.  It was Seol's first foray into full professional management.  He had been managing Sungkyunkwan University for two years before joining Gyeongnam.

When getting relegated usually the better players in the squad jump ship and look for pastures new.  Japanese star playmaker Kunimoto joined K League 1 powerhouses Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.  Goalkeeper Lee Bum-soo joined Gangwon FC and promising youngster Kim Joon-beom moved north to play for Incheon United FC.  So under the new management team, the whole club had a major re-shuffle of the squad.

The league as we look at it now is about halfway through. All teams have played 14 games.  Gyeongnam sits in sixth, just two points away from a play-off position.  The club has finally started to play well after a stop-start beginning to the campaign.  Out of the 14 games played the Changwon based side has drawn half of them, winning four and losing three.  

It was a tough start for the Seol Ki-hyeon as he changed the whole ethos at the club.  He mixed up the training methods, he closely monitored how each player trained and he became extremely strict on players' diets, etc.  The squad initially struggled with the change but after a while, they have now more accustomed to how they have to be.  As a result, the performances have improved and the players' overall fitness and understanding of each other have gotten much better.  I fully expect this team to be up, in and around the play-off positions as the season draws to an end.

Season rating so far = C+


Key words and expressions


doubleheader- When you play someone or a team twice in succession.

bitter rivals- A team who is your rival that you really don't like.

venture- To go and experience a new thing usually with an element of risk involved.

plain sailing- It came across very easy.

foray- To take up a new challenge with a sense of uncertainty about it.

jump ship- To move to another place usually after a disappointing incident has happened to them.

pastures new- To change where you live and start afresh somewhere else.

re-shuffle- To change things up and to try and make a positive outcome.

stop-start- You can't gain any positive momentum, the momentum keeps being stopped and started again.

ethos- The way of someone's beliefs and thoughts.



Put the correct word or expression into the blanks


I want to move my children into an international school here in Korea.  As I feel the whole _________________ of the school is so much better than the Korean public schools.


I can't believe the new teacher just _____________________ and left the country without telling anyone.  She has left the school with a huge problem now trying to find a replacement teacher.  


I studied so hard for my Math test.  If I take the test now it should be ________________________ for me.


The rain caused so many baseball games to be cancelled this monsoon season.  As a result a few teams are playing a ________________________ against each other today.


West Ham's ______________________ will always be Millwall FC.


I really want to go on a summer ___________________ to Mexico.  The country has so much history and I love the food as well.