By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
A late surge lifted defending champion Chunnam Dragons to a 3-2 come-from-behind win over Pohang Steelers Sunday in the first leg of the FA Cup.
Before a crowd of around 1,5000, rooting for their home team with a 45-meter-long dragon banner, two goals from Kim Seung-hyun and Kwak Tae-hwi in the final 10 minutes gave manager Huh Jung-moo's side a big step toward a second straight championship.
The second leg will be played next Sunday in Pohang.
With the victory, the Dragons extended their winning streak to seven including the regular season, while this year's K-League champion Steelers failed to relay the victorious atmosphere, conceding a reverse and suffered the first loss in the past seven matches - six wins and one draw.
It was Chunnam that broke the scoreless tie in the 21st minute.
On a free kick that forward Victor Simoes De Oliveira was awarded, national team defender Kim Chi-woo fired the ball into the right net.
However, the Steelers struck back immediately.
In two minutes, midfielder Shin Kwang-hoon broke to the right in the area and was pulled down by a defender to end in a penalty kick, converted by Brazilian midfielder Andre Luiz Tavares to even the match.
Four minutes into the second half, Pohang's set piece saw it taking the lead when striker Cleber Schwenck Tiene's header from a left-wing cross dashed Kim Kwang-suk, who tapped in to make it 2-1.
The urgent Dragons launched a series of attacks to equalize, only to be denied by hustle plays from Pohang defenders and goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong.
Their efforts finally paid off at 81 minutes.
Oliveira sent in a low cross on the right flank and Kim's bullet went past the goalie.
In five minutes, the Dragons found their long-awaited winner from Kwak.
The four-year pro, who moved from FC Seoul midway through the season, flicked a free kick from the front of the area into the net to turn home fans into a wild excitement.
Manager Sergio Farias deployed his players up front but failed to add to the tally.