Busan University Soccer Ends 34-Year Gold Drought... Tongmyong University Wins Penalty Shootout Thriller

Win National Sports Festival title just three years after founding

Beat Yonsei and Dankook before defeating Kyung Hee

Busan university soccer has reclaimed the National Sports Festival gold medal for the first time in 34 years. Tongmyong University (President Lee Sang-cheon) ended a long wait as its soccer team claimed the title at the National Sports Festival just three years after its founding.

On October 22, Tongmyong University defeated Gyeonggi Province representative Kyung Hee University in a penalty shootout in the men's university division final of the 107th National Sports Festival, held at Seogwipo Citizen Soccer Stadium in Seogwipo, Jeju. It was the first time since 1992, 34 years ago, that a team representing Busan had won gold in this event.

The road to victory was far from easy. Tongmyong University entered the tournament in the round of 17 and played one more match than the other teams. In the quarterfinals, it defeated Seoul representative Yonsei University 3-1, then beat South Chungcheong Province representative Dankook University 2-0 in the semifinals.

Players from Tongmyong University's soccer team, who claimed the top spot at the National Sports Festival.

In the four matches leading up to the final, the team scored 10 goals and conceded just one. Its defense, which kept goals against to a minimum, complemented an attack that scored 2.5 goals per match. The players maintained their focus through the penalty shootout in the final, securing the gold medal.

Tongmyong University's momentum was clear this year. It finished runner-up at the Baekdudaegan-gi of the National University Football Federation's fall tournament in July and the Hwanggaram-gi of the National University Football Federation's tournament for first- and second-year students in August. After reaching the finals of national competitions three times in a row, the team finally lifted the trophy at the National Sports Festival.

Coach Lee Seung-jun credited the players, saying, "I am truly grateful to the players for giving their best until the end, even though they had to play one more match than the other teams."

The National Sports Festival victory, achieved just three years after the team's founding, showcases the growth of Tongmyong University's soccer team and fulfills a long-standing aspiration for university soccer in Busan.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.