Wins 25-24 one-point victory over Busan
The only female head coach in South Korea’s unemployed men’s and women’s handball leagues. Incheon Metropolitan City Hall, led by head coach Moon Pil-hee, earned its first win over Busan Facilities Corporation.
Incheon defeated Busan 27-26 in the first round of the Shinhan SOL Pay 23-24 Handball H League Women’s Division at Gwangmyeong Citizens’ Gymnasium in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, on Nov. 11. Incheon moved up to fourth place with one win, one draw and three points. Busan dropped to sixth place after failing to pick up a point with one win and three losses.
Both teams played a tightly contested match that was hard to predict until the final minute. It was back-and-forth. In the first half, Incheon had a player sent off for two minutes. Busan scored three goals in a row to take the lead at 6-8.
It looked like they would solidify their early lead. Busan made one mistake after another. Incheon took advantage of them. They scored five goals in a row to regain the lead at 11-8. This time, Incheon also made mistakes. At 12-9, Busan scored three goals in a row to tie the score at 12-12. Incheon then scored back-to-back goals and went into halftime trailing 13-14. It was close, but the tide was in Busan’s favor.
The second half was also tense. Each point was hard to come by. The score was tied at 19-19 with 16 minutes left. The game was not easily predictable. In this case, a mistake can be a ‘spark’ that decides the game. As we moved into the second half, it was clear that the players were losing steam. Missed passes and missed shots continued. It was time for a solid defensive push.
It looked like they would solidify their early lead. Busan made one mistake after another. Incheon took advantage of them. They scored five goals in a row to regain the lead at 11-8. This time, Incheon also made mistakes. At 12-9, Busan scored three goals in a row to tie the score at 12-12. Incheon then scored back-to-back goals and went into halftime trailing 13-14. It was close, but the tide was in Busan’s favor.
The second half was also tense. Each point was hard to come by. The score was tied at 19-19 with 16 minutes left. The game was not easily predictable. In this case, a mistake can be a ‘spark’ that decides the game. As we moved into the second half, it was clear that the players were losing steam. Missed passes and missed shots continued. It was time for a solid defensive push.
Incheon coach Moon Pil-hee made a request at game time: “Don’t keep running around and playing defense. Look at the ball and connect,” he instructed. Don’t get caught up in the pace of the opponent. It was an order that recognized the gaps that were opening up in the defense.
With 2 minutes and 20 seconds to go. Now, a mistake could be fatal. That’s when Incheon made a mistake. Busan received the ball and drove to the basket. Incheon fouled them off. Incheon made a quick substitution. Busan’s Kim Da-young saw Lee Hye-won on the right wing and made a pass. The ball went out of play. It was a missed pass. Busan coach Kang Jae-won smiled bitterly. It was a moment of defeat.
One minute left in the game. Incheon didn’t need to hurry. A foul was called at the 9-meter line. Incheon’s Kang Yeon-seo received the ball and scored from a standing position. The score was 26-24. Busan’s Kim Da-young then attempted a mid-range shot, but it went out of bounds. Busan coach Kang Jae-won slumped on the bench. He shook his head in disbelief. Thirty seconds before the end. Busan’s Kim Da-young took a shot from the center and it went in.
Thirteen seconds before the end, Incheon attacked with all their might. The final ‘wedge shot’ succeeded as Han Min-sul fell down. The score was 27-25. Busan’s Kim Seo-young made the final shot. The score was 27-26 in favor of Incheon.
Busan outplayed Incheon in both offense and defense, but lacked focus in the final minutes. Busan’s Lee Hye-won and Kim Da-young each scored eight goals, and goalkeeper Kim Soo-yeon made 14 saves. Incheon, on the other hand, had five goals from Im Seo-young and Kang Eun-seo, and eight saves from Lee Ga-eun.
Incheon’s Im Seo-young, who was named MVP for the first time as a rookie, said, “It feels good to have practiced with my sisters and sweated out a victory.”
