SBS' 'Goal Hitters' (hereinafter referred to as 'Goal Hitters') took first place in Wednesday entertainment viewership ratings with the fierce goal-scoring match between 'FC Gavengers' and 'FC World Class'.
'Goal Girl', which aired on the 12th, ranked first overall in 2049 with a household viewer rating of 6.9% (based on Nielsen Korea's metropolitan area) and a 2049 target audience rating of 2.9%, which is a hot topic indicator, and ranked first among Wednesday entertainment shows in household viewership ratings. The highest viewership rating per minute rose to 9.3% in the scene of Kim Min-kyung's equalizer following the Gavengers' all-time set-piece goal, where they trailed by two goals with two minutes left in the game.
On this day, the second match of Super League Group B was held between 'FC World Class' and 'FC Gavengers'. The Gavengers are in a situation where they can no longer retreat with 2 losses in 2 games against World Class. In addition, goalkeeper Cho Hye-ryeon was unable to play this season due to an injury, putting the team in the biggest crisis since its founding. Comedian Heo Min, who also participated in the recruitment audition, has joined the Gavengers' new goalkeeper. Heo Min practiced saving with her husband, Jeong In-wook, a former baseball player, and expressed her determination, saying, "I will absolutely prevent anyone from becoming a 'Gaben.'"
As the game began, World Class continued to attack at a fast tempo, led by the forward pressure of the Naori combination and the Tiki Taka pass. World Class had many chances with an onslaught of attacks, but failed to capitalize on the opportunity to score the first goal, and the offensive flow gradually passed to the Gavengers. Gavengers coach Lee Young-pyo ordered a surprise formation change to the 2-2 position. World Class, with everyone man-marked, could not easily move into the opposing camp. In the end, in the 8th minute of the first half, Lee Eun-hyung received Kim Seung-hye's sharp kick-in with his knee and succeeded in scoring the surprise first goal. It was the first goal scored against a world class team in the history of the Gavengers.
The Gavengers, who were gaining momentum, faced a crisis at the end of the first half. Novice goalkeeper Heo Min, who was making his debut, caught the ball with his hand outside the penalty box and was sent off for three minutes. Kim Min-kyung was selected as the emergency goalkeeper. The Gavengers played with four players for three minutes. World Class created opportunities with its proprietary Tiki Taka. In the 10th minute of the first half, Saori's pass was converted into a goal by Nati, bringing the game back to square one.
The game continued into the second half with the Gavengers outnumbered. With 1 minute and 30 seconds left until Heo Min's return, Eva's kick-in grazed Kim Seung-hye's foot and World Class made the score 2-1. After 3 minutes, Heo Min came back. The Gavengers showed their strength once again, but World Class Natty's corner kick led to an additional goal, quickly making the score 3-1.
Gaveners coach Lee Young-pyo, who requested an operation time, brought out the players' fighting spirit by saying, "They say they can do it, but are they giving up on the pitch? We just have to score again. The moment it becomes 3-2, the atmosphere changes completely." The Gavengers once again took the field with burning fighting spirit. In the 5th minute of the second half, Kim Seung-hye's accurate kick-in created a make-up goal and the atmosphere began to change.
World Class did not lose, and with Saori's surprise goal, they defeated the Gavengers' pursuit and made the score 4-2. However, at the end of the game, goalkeeper Kesey cut the ball outside the penalty line and was sent off for three minutes. In an unprecedented situation where two goalkeepers from both teams were sent off, the game became unpredictable.
The Gavengers, who received a free kick opportunity, scored a goal with an all-time set piece led by Kim Hye-sun, Kim Min-kyung, and Kim Seung-hye. With less than a minute to go, Kim Min-kyung scored a miraculous equalizer, filling the field with enthusiasm. This scene, in which the Gavengers tied the score dramatically 4-4 in just one minute, recorded the highest viewership rating of 9.3% per minute and was named 'Best One Minute'. The fierce game ended in a tie, and the result of the game was decided in a penalty shootout next week.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter bella@tenasia.co.kr