“It’s unfortunate that we didn’t have a goal, but the team is doing well, we just need to get promoted.”

Busan I-Park defeated Chungnam Asan 2-1 in the 36th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2 2023 at Yi Sunshin Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 21. Busan remained in first place with 66 points. They are five points clear of Gimcheon, who have played one game less.

We caught up with Park Dong-jin in the Mix Zone, who came on as a second-half substitute and pressed hard to help secure the win. This summer, Busan made a major recruitment push for promotion. They brought in a number of experienced players, including Min Sang-ki and Park Dong-jin. Park is a veteran of the K League, having played for Gwangju FC and FC Seoul. He started out as a fullback, but then switched to forward, where he showed good form and caused a lot of issues with his aggressive personality.

He left Seoul for Busan on loan this summer. Just as the other experienced players have provided the center of gravity in their respective positions, Park has done the same. Park has been a consistent starter and substitute and has made an impact with his workload up front. On this day, he came off the bench to contribute to the team’s victory. Busan maintained their first place and increased their chances of promotion.

Busan has three games left and is five points behind second-place Gimcheon, which has played one game less. If they finish first and secure automatic promotion, it will be a success story for the club, which brought in a number of veterans in the summer, including Park Dong-jin.

In an interview with Mixzone, Park said, “First of all, we were able to win because the players played hard in a difficult match. I’m very happy.” Regarding the role of the veteran players, he said, “Coach Park Jin-seop is taking the center stage. We just talked about giving him a boost.”

“I’m not thinking about promotion or winning the championship yet,” Park said in his pre-match interview and post-match press conference. Park Dong-jin also said, “We always prepare for each week’s game and think about one game at a time, not, ‘What should we do in the next three games!’ We’re just 스포츠토토 focusing on that week’s game.” As for Park’s orders, he said, “He tells the players to fight a lot and to be centered in the team atmosphere.”

Park has yet to score a goal for Busan. Despite his playstyle and aggressiveness, the lack of goals will remain a disappointment. “Personally, I’m disappointed, but we’re doing well as a team. I can’t say I’m satisfied with that, but if I don’t score a goal and the team gets promoted, I don’t have to play,” he said.