By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
Jeonbuk Motors won their first K-League championship Sunday after defeating Seongnam Chunma 3-1 in Game 2 of the Championship Series.
Brazilian midfielder Enio Oliveira Junior scored two goals in the first half and striker Lee Dong-gook added one in the second to help Motors clinch their elusive first title. Kim Jin-yong gave Seongnam a lone score six minutes from full time.
"I am deeply moved. It is a reward for my players, who played really well this year,'' said Motors manager Choi Kang-hee, who took over the club in July 2005.
"I thank fans for supporting us at home and on the road. I definitely believed that my players could win the championship.''
The 50-year-old skipper gave special thanks to veterans Kim Sang-shik and Lee, who came to Jeonbuk before the season.
"Lee performed much better than expected and Kim played the leading role well.''
"After squandering several chances in Game 1, I got a bit impatient. But manager Choi called on me to be patient yesterday, which helped me focus on today's game,'' said Lee, who was named the finals' Most Valuable Player.
The two sides played to a scoreless draw in the first leg Wednesday.
Since joining the league in 1994, their best results had been two fourth-place finishes, in 2000 and 2008, before this year's breakthrough.
Fourth-ranked Chunma, led by rookie coach Shin Tae-yong, were seeking the franchise's eighth title after winning three playoff games.
Jeonbuk opened the scoring at 21 minutes when Brazilian midfielder Luiz Henrique was awarded a free kick just outside the top of the arc.
Enio, who notched five goals and 10 assists this past season, curled a free kick into the top left corner past helpless goalie Jung Sung-ryong, sending the crowd of 36,000 into a frenzy.
After the go-ahead score, Motors were the dominant side, and continued to put pressure on Seongnam.
It paid dividends in the 39th when Luiz broke to the left and passed the ball to Choi Tae-uk in the box.
The former national team player controlled the pass and dribbled to the middle of the area before slipping the ball to a streaking Enio, who fired it into the right side of the net to extend the lead.
After the intermission, Chunma players tried to turn the game around, but Lee, the league's leading scorer with 20 goals, dashed their hopes, as the 30-year-old striker converted a penalty kick 27 minutes into the second half.