"When it comes to health, I think it's a little bit..." Pohang Steelers coach Park Tae-ha said, "Taeha Drama was not a big hit in the K-League in the early days of the season. Taeha Drama got its nickname from Pohang when the team continued its winning streak by scoring theatrical goals at the end of the second half. It had both points and popularity, but it was a source of anxiety in the long run. Coach Park Tae-ha personally felt anxious because he could not afford to lose the tension for the entire 90 minutes. Analysts say that the team as a whole lacks stable attack strategy.
At some point, the team was less dependent on the team. Pohang was heavily dependent on the second half, as its first-half score was zero until the fourth round of the "Hana Bank K League 1 2024." Of its 30 goals scored in the second half, Pohang scored 19 goals in the first half. It has scored a whopping 10 goals after 35 minutes in the second half. However, it has scored in the first half in all four of its recent matches. It has gained two wins and two draws. At a home game against Ulsan on June 30 in the 20th round of the previous match, it scored two goals in the first half alone. It secured a win early on and secured a 2-1 victory.
This means that Pohang's organizational power has finally entered the trend of establishing a system. The "theater goal" is thrilling, but there is a limit to the fact that it exerts power only after the opponent's physical strength and concentration are scattered. Now, Pohang has started to create goals even when it is fully equipped. If the team Pohang was on track in the early days of the season when preparations were insufficient with mental strength and determination, now it can be said that "Team Pohang" is on track. Rather, the current Pohang, which has reduced its variables compared to the first half of the year when it maintained an unstable No. 1 position, is even scarier.
In fact, Park Tae-ha did not lose his smile even after losing the tying goal at the match against Jeonbuk in the 19th round. He confirmed that he is already taking a much more positive stance in terms of the match compared to the past. "I can see his performance improve. Even if mistakes are made in the process of resolving offense through build-up, they are gaining strength," Park said at the time. "Players also feel it. We have improved not only in judgment and teamwork but also in developing the game."
Pohang is facing a pessimistic outlook that it will not be able to make top-ranked split, let alone become a favorite before the season. Coach Kim Ki-dong, who has coached Pohang for nearly five years, has left for FC Seoul. Major players, including main center back Ha Chang-rae (Nagoya) and Grant (Tianjin), and key strikers Ko Young-joon (Partizan), Zeka (Shandong) and Kim Seung-dae (Daejeon), have moved to the team. Coach Park Tae-ha, who took office in December, did not have enough time to reorganize his team.
Pohang has overcome the difficult period with an earnest mindset. When "Taeha Drama" was booming, coach Park Tae-ha said, "We are not good enough yet. We need to focus on stabilizing the situation. It is just the result of the sweat and hard work of our players. We are not in a situation to be intoxicated with this," maintaining a cautious attitude. Starting with Jeon Min-kwang and Lee Dong-hee, Pohang has strengthened its defense organization first. By blocking the team with the least number of goals, it has successfully managed to score points by simply using Jeong Jae-hee, Baek Sung-dong, and Kim In-sung in attack. As Pohang gradually completes its offensive tactics, striker Lee Ho-jae's score has also increased. Lee Ho-jae, who had eight goals last season, already has six goals. If he maintains this momentum, his first double-digit career score (10 goals) will be okay.
The team met Ulsan, which lost 0 to 1 in the opening game, 안전놀이터 and overwhelmed the team 2-1 again. "We prepared a lot back then. All I remember is defending. When I think about it now, I was comforted that I only allowed one run. I have high expectations going forward as I see that my performance has improved over the past three months," coach Park Tae-ha said.