Yoo Woo-sung was full of love for Gyeongnam FC.
Gyeongnam drew 1-1 with Gimcheon Commerce in the 38th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2 2023 at Changwon Football Center at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. With the one point, Gyeongnam overtook Bucheon FC and moved up to fourth place.
Ui-sung, who started the game and reached 200 appearances for Gyeongnam, said, “It’s meaningful that this is the first record I’ve achieved for Gyeongnam. I didn’t expect to play so many games in my first year, and I’m really grateful to the team for making me known as a soccer player,” he said.
Woo’s parents and girlfriend joined in the celebration. “(My family) said congratulations. I’m from Busan, so my parents come to watch every game. I want to play a lot of games and show my parents and girlfriend a good performance in front of them,” he said.
Woo also organized an event for his fans when he reached 100 games for Gyeongnam. This time, he also showed his commitment to the fans. “If we go to the promotion playoffs, I’m thinking of organizing an event for fans like the away bus when we play the third place team,” he said.
Looking back on his career, Woo said, “I’m grateful to the staff for giving me the position of captain. The coaches I’ve worked with so far have given me opportunities to grow. I’m grateful to the coaches and the front office. I also remember the fans from the first year. Some of them were there when we got promoted in ’17, and some of them were there when we got relegated in ’19. I’m most grateful to the fans,” he said humbly. 무지개토토
Except for a stint with Sangju Sangsang (now Gimcheon) to serve in the military, Woo has been playing for Gyeongnam ever since. The fans even made placards to commemorate his 200th game. “It seems like he played one season each, but nine years have passed. I realized that a lot of time has passed in Gyeongnam,” he said, overwhelmed with emotion. “I want to play 300 games for Gyeongnam, and I want to finish in the K League 1 before I retire,” he said.
When asked about his most memorable game, he hesitated for a moment, then said, “In my debut in the 2014 season, I won 1-0 against Seongnam FC. That was the most nerve-wracking game. It was a game where I could feel the barrier of being a professional. When I looked at the 200-match commemorative photo, I thought about my debut in 2014 until now.”