Sejong Sportstoto’s hopes of reaching the 2026 WK League playoff came to an end last night in Hwacheon as Lee Soobin scored a devastating late equaliser, sending Sportstoto back home with just a point. With Suwon FC and Hwacheon KSPO firmly ahead in first and second place respectively, this season has seen an intense battle for third place and, crucially, a place in the playoff. Yesterday’s Round 27 match, brought forward due to KSPO’s upcoming AWCL fixtures, was a must-win for Sejong to maintain any chance of leapfrogging Gyeongju KHNP, Mungyeong Sangmu, and Seoul City into third.
In case you missed it: The run-in: Gyeongju, Mungyeong, Sejong and Seoul in tight race for playoff
Still riding the high of Sunday’s win against Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels in the semi-finals of the inaugural W Korea Cup, Sportstoto arrived at Hwacheon Sports Park confident and determined to secure all three points, and for most of the 90 minutes, it looked like they were going to.
Just three minutes into the first half, KSPO conceded a free kick just outside their own penalty area, and Sejong grasped the opportunity. Kim Jihyun delivered the ball into the box, where it bounced up off the ground for Kim Hye-in to head it home. Despite opportunities at both ends of the pitch, Sejong Sportstoto held onto their narrow lead and were still ahead as the clock ticked over into second half injury time.
With only a couple of minutes left to play, Choi Yoojung’s weak attempt from outside the box hit the post, but goalkeeper Ryu Jisoo wasn’t able to get her hands on it before the hovering Lee Soobin tapped it in. Sejong’s defenders protested, claiming Lee had been in an offside position, and even Hwacheon’s own players seemed to look anxiously towards the assistant referee before celebrating, but the flag was not raised, and the goal stood.
With their playoff qualification already in the bag, the result of this match was largely inconsequential for Hwacheon, while Sejong needed the win, and they played like it, diligently defending a lead away from home against one of the league’s strongest teams for the best part of 90 minutes. In the end, a lapse in concentration, and maybe a little bad luck, saw their playoff hopes extinguished.
Sejong have just one match remaining in the 2026 WK League. Even with the playoff out of reach, they could still climb a place or two in the rankings with a win away at Gangjin on the final day of the season. Sportstoto are the only WK League side not in action at the National Sports Festival in Jeju in the coming days, giving the squad a little extra time to recover, reflect on a busy week, and start looking ahead to the small matter of the W Korea Cup final.
Hwacheon KSPO will begin their National Sports Festival campaign on Monday, playing against either Ulsan College or Daeduk University in the second round of the competition.
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