The new season in South Korea kicked off on Saturday, with the Latvian national team forward Vladislavs Gutkovskis playing a few minutes at the end of the game for his Daejeon Hana Citizen in their opening match against Pohang in which they secured a convincing 3-0 victory.
This is Vladislavs’s second season in South Korea, but he has faced challenges due to injuries. He has made only 13 appearances and scored two goals over the past season and a half. He has struggled with two long-term injuries that kept him sidelined for significant periods.
During the last transfer window, there were rumors that Vladislavs could move to some Polish clubs, but nothing materialized, and he remains with Daejeon for now.
In the match against Pohang, Vladislavs started on the bench. Daejeon, who finished eighth last season, faced a Pohang side that ended the previous season in sixth place. Daejeon took the lead in the 32nd minute when Geon-Joo Choi scored the first goal. Later in the game, newcomer Min-Kyu Joo, who is competing with Vladislavs for the forward position, scored two goals within three minutes.
Min-Kyu Joo was substituted after scoring his second goal, and Vladislavs came on for the final few minutes of the match, marking his first appearance of the season.
Daejeon’s next game in the South Korean K League 1 will be next Sunday when they will host the defending champions, Ulsan HD.
