The four semi-finalists of the 2010 Hana Bank Korean FA Cup competition were confirmed last night with Suwon Samsung Bluewings, Jeju United, Busan I’Park and Chunnam Dragons all progressing from the quarter-final stage.
Cup holders Suwon booked their passage with a comfortable 2-0 win over reigning league champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the tie of the round. Kwak Hee-joo opened the scoring for the home side in the 36th minute as he headed home a Yeom Ki-hun free kick, and though Kwak received his marching orders in the 81st minute after a rash challenge on Krunoslav Lovrek, former Jeonbuk winger Yeom rounded off the result with his side’s second two minutes into second half stoppage time.
Jeju United secured the only away win of the quarter-finals as they came back from Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma’s Tancheon stadium with a 2-0 win. Kim Eun-jung had put the visitors ahead in the 20th minute, but Seongnam spurned a chance to level the match in the 25th minute as Mauricio Molina rattled a penalty kick off the bar, and in the second half Kim grabbed his second of the game one minute from time to put Jeju through.
Hwang Sun-hong’s Busan I’Park reached the semi-finals for the first time since they won the tournament in 2004, but they had to come from behind and then required extra time to see off the challenge of Incheon United at the Busan Asiad stadium. Yoo Byung-soo was on target yet again for the visitors after 48 minutes, but Han Sang-woon equalised for the home side in the 55th minute and there was no further scoring during the regulation ninety minutes. Yang Dong-hyun was the goal hero for Busan in extra time, getting on the end of a Park Hee-do cross six minutes into the first half of extra time to complete a 2-1 win.
Choi Won-kwon put through his own net thirteen minutes into the match as visitors Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix fell behind to Chunnam Dragons at the Gwangyang stadium, and though Choi Sung-guk levelled proceedings in the 26th minute, Chunnam’s Ji Dong-won netted his side’s winner five minutes before time to send the 2007 winners through to the last four.
The date for the semi-final draw has still to be confirmed, but the ties will be played on September 29th with the final scheduled for October 24th.
2010 Hana Bank Korean FA Cup Quarter-final results (Wednesday August 18th 2010)
Suwon 2-0 Jeonbuk
Seongnam 0-2 Jeju
Busan 2-1 Incheon (aet, 1-1 full time)
Chunnam 2-1 Gwangju
