"Gather and Play": Eojjeoda FC Finishes Third in First Tournament... Ahn Junghwan's Brilliant Strategy Creates a Miracle (Summary)

Photo by JTBC 'Mungcheoya Chanda'

[Asia Economy, reporter Kim Jungho] The "Gather and Play" team, Eojjeoda FC, finished in third place in their first soccer tournament.

On the JTBC variety show "Gather and Play" (hereafter "Gather and Play") aired on the 16th, the group stage first-place decider for Eojjeoda FC was revealed.

On this episode, coach Ahn Junghwan boosted the legends' morale by saying, "It will be advantageous for us to advance as the top team in our group. Let's challenge ourselves and aim for the championship."

The opposing team was Bonghyeop FC, a team that had already scored six goals in the qualifiers and, like Eojjeoda FC, had already secured a spot in the semifinals. Ahn Junghwan described them as "quite rough," and advised his players, "Even if they try to get into your heads, never stop until the referee blows the whistle."

For this match, Ahn Junghwan took a strategic gamble by assigning Kim Yongman as striker. Kim Byunghyun and Lee Manki took the wing forward positions. Before the match, Ahn told ace midfielder Lee Daehun, "Pass the ball to Byunghyun, Yongman, and Manki."

Soon after, Kim Yongman scored an unexpected opening goal in the 7th minute of the first half. Commentator Kim Sungjoo could not hide his excitement, exclaiming, "Kim Yongman has scored!" It was a refreshing goal that swept away the frustrations of the past-time had stood still at Eulwang-ri, and he hadn't been able to play more than five minutes on the field. This goal made up for all those hardships.

Jung Hyungdon praised Kim Yongman's achievement, saying, "He hadn't scored in countless practice matches, but he managed to net the opening goal against the strong Bonghyeop FC."

The first half ended 2-0 after Lee Daehun scored a second goal just before halftime. Afterwards, Ahn Junghwan jokingly told Kim Yongman, "You've done everything you could on this show. I don't think you'll be able to score again. That was the best goal of your life." He also warned the team not to get complacent, as the second half would be very different.

As Ahn predicted, Bonghyeop FC used all their substitution cards, swapping out half their players. Despite their relentless attacks, Eojjeoda FC's defense remained solid. In addition, goalkeeper Kim Donghyun made an impressive save during the opponent's free kick opportunity.

With this, Eojjeoda FC defeated Bonghyeop FC 2-0 and advanced to the semifinals as the top team in their group. After the match, the team highlighted Ahn Junghwan's tactics, Kim Byunghyun's assist, Kim Yongman's right-footed shot, their solid defensive line, and Lee Hyungtaek's contribution as the team's anchor despite a rib injury. Ahn Junghwan emphasized, "This was not achieved by just a few people, but was a victory shared by everyone," and applauded the entire team.

A week later, the much-anticipated semifinal day arrived, and scenes from that day were also shown. On this day, if they won the semifinal, the final would be played immediately afterward. Ahn Junghwan once again mentioned the team's self-appointed championship prize-a trip to Jeju Island-and clarified, "If we win, it's a hotel; if we reach the final, it's a pension; if we don't make the final, it's a tent."

The team they faced in the semifinal was Jungdong Football Club, which had advanced as the second-place team from Group B. Kim Sungjoo analyzed that the teams from Group B played an "attacking style." While Group A teams scored 18 goals in the qualifiers, Group B teams scored an astonishing 35 goals, which surprised everyone.

Of those, Jungdong Football Club had scored a total of seven goals. However, among the semifinalists, Eojjeoda FC was the only team that had not conceded a single goal, making the outcome unpredictable.

Jungdong Football Club started with fierce attacks from the beginning. Seeing their quick forward pressing, Jung Hyungdon expressed concern, saying, "We absolutely cannot allow the opening goal. The momentum could shift in an instant." Soon after, Lee Hyungtaek made a mistake, leaving the team to rely solely on their goalkeeper. Nevertheless, Kim Donghyun made a super save to keep the team in the game.

The match was tightly contested. For 10 minutes, neither team managed a convincing shot, prompting Jung Hyungdon to predict, "I think this will be a one-goal game."

The first half ended 0-0, with neither team scoring. Kim Sungjoo lamented, "It feels like the half ended with just a feeling-out process." Jung Hyungdon, sitting next to him, added, "Still, you could feel the tense atmosphere," analyzing the first half.

Ahn Junghwan encouraged his players, saying, "We're rushing too much. It's okay to slow down. We're too excited, so let's calm down. We're not showing our usual skills." He also instructed Lee Daehun, "Since they're marking you closely, don't try to break through-just pass to the flanks no matter what."

The second half began, and the attacks resumed immediately. However, Kim Donghyun cut off the play with quick judgment, and he also blocked a surprise shot instantly. The fierce back-and-forth continued. Jungdong Football Club used substitutes to strengthen their attack.

Lee Daehun managed a shot on target, but the opposing goalkeeper punched it away, preventing a goal. Soon after, Jungdong Football Club seized a counterattack opportunity due to a passing error from Eojjeoda FC.

Eventually, Eojjeoda FC conceded a goal. Although Kim Donghyun made a save, Jungdong Football Club capitalized on the rebound to score. In the 19th minute of the second half, Eojjeoda FC found themselves trailing 0-1.

Kim Sungjoo expressed his disappointment, saying, "Our players couldn't hold out for even a minute and conceded a goal, causing us to fall to Jungdong Football Club." Jung Hyungdon added, "Even though we narrowly lost in the semifinals, all the hard work up to now hasn't been in vain," recognizing the team's efforts.

Afterward, Ahn Junghwan said, "I think this was the coach's mistake. I shouldn't have set the goal at reaching the semifinals, but at winning the championship. These players were more than capable." However, both the legends and their families applauded and supported each other's passion. Ahn Junghwan encouraged the players, saying, "We won't stop here. Let's see how far we can go."

The legends participated in the closing ceremony, looking wistfully at the many trophies and prizes. Eojjeoda FC finished in joint third place with Bonghyeop FC. Jungdong Football Club took second place, and Sangam Football Club claimed first.

Meanwhile, "Gather and Play" airs every Sunday at 7:40 p.m.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.