Jeonnam Dragons ‘ace’ Valdivia scored again to save his team from the brink.
Chungnam Asan drew 3-3 with Jeonnam in the 20th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2 2023 at Yi Sunshin Sports Complex in Asan at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
Jeonnam gave Valdivia a special rest before the match against Chungnam Asan. Jeonnam head coach Lee Jang-jang said, “Valdivia is good enough that I don’t have to get involved. I gave her a day off during the preparation period. He plays a lot. She’s a very sincere person, and she trusts her coach and follows him in training. She wanted to do more, but I caught her with Yuhei and stopped her,” he said behind the scenes.
Jeonnam conceded an early goal to Kang Min-kyu in the 14th minute of the first half and then conceded consecutive goals to Kim Seung-ho and Duarte early and midway through the second half to fall behind 0-3. Noh Gun-woo scored a consolation goal in the 21st minute of the second half, but they were unable to close the two-goal gap in the next 20 minutes.
That’s when Valdivia shined. In the 43rd minute, Choi Sung-jin won a header contest in the penalty box and delivered a second ball. Valdivia connected with a non-stop volley to split the goal. He saw the corner and hit it with precision, and goalkeeper Park Joo-won couldn’t stop it.바카라
Energized by the goal, Jeonnam pushed forward for five minutes of second-half stoppage time. Eventually, Choo Sang-hoon scored the equalizer a minute before the end of regulation to tie the score at 3-3.
“In the last game, I scored a kick to the top of the goal,” Valdivia said after the game. This time, I tried to put it in the right corner. It was a clear, thoughtful shot,” he said, explaining the circumstances of his goal.
Valdivia has been an integral part of Jeonnam’s offense this season. With this goal, he has eight goals and four assists, tied for second in the league with Gimpo’s Lewis and Gyeongnam FC’s Won Ki-jong. He is also only two goals behind first-place Gleison (Gyeongnam).
Fans are already calling Valdivia ‘Jesus’. Everything about him, from his hairstyle to the way he saves his team, is savior-like. “The name Valdivia is also a nickname. If they want to call me ‘Jesus,’ I’ll take it,” she said, adding, “I’m very grateful to my former fans for their affection.”
