Kwak Jun-hyuk of Korea reacts after losing to Thailand's Patanasak Varanan during the loser's bracket final of "FC Online" at the eSports Main Stadium in Beijing Yuan Ecological Park in Hangzhou, China on Nov. 27. Kwak Jun-hyuk won the bronze medal after losing 1-2 to Patanasak in the loser's bracket final. It is the first esports medal for South Korea.
FC Online Korea's Kwak Jun-hyuk (KT Rolster-23) takes home the bronze medal. It's the first medal for a South Korean esports player.
Kwak competed in the loser's bracket final of the 'FC Online' on Sept. 27 at the esports main stadium located in Beijing Yuan Ecological Park, Gongsu District, Hangzhou, China. He faced Thailand's Patanasak Varanan and lost 1-2.
Patanasak had won the FIFA Continental Cup 2023 a week before the tournament, and is a two-time EA Champions Cup winner.
Going into the final, Kwak Jun-hyuk felt that his performance was lacking. He conceded early goals to Patanasak in sets 1-2-3, and his defense was not solid.
In the first set, Kwak lost 1-2. In the first half, Patanasak increased the ball share and advanced into Kwak's zone, and Kwak couldn't cut the opponent's ball and conceded the first point.
The second set went to penalty kicks at 1-1. Patanasak missed two shots, and Kwak Jun-hyuk scored four times to win.
Patanasak later showed signs of nervousness on the field, placing his hand over his heart. Kwak Jun-hyuk also stared at the monitor with a straight face. The crowd chanted "Dae~Korea" and cheered for Patanasak.
In the first 15 minutes of the third set, the goal-share advantage continued, and Patanasak scored the first goal. Kwak Jun-hyuk also had a free-kick opportunity, but he missed it and lost with a score of 0-1.
"It's a stage I've been dreaming of since I heard that FC Online would be included in the Asian Games, and I knew I had to win the gold medal," Kwak Jun-hyuk said in the Mix Zone after the match. "I wasn't satisfied with my performance today, but that's the loss."
Coach Shin Bo-seok and Park Ki-young (Ultra Sejong-17) comforted Kwak Jun-hyuk after he left the mix zone.
With his bronze medal, Kwak Jun-hyuk became the first medalist for the Korean national esports team. The Korean national team will next compete for medals in Street Fighter V, League of Legends (LoL), and Battlegrounds Mobile. 스포츠토토맨