Wandelsson (34) was scolded by Pohang coach Kim Ki-dong after the Suwon game on Nov. 12. However, within one game, he was back to his best and led the team to victory.
On Saturday, Wandelsson scored a goal and an assist to lead Pohang to a 4-2 comeback win against Jeju in the 23rd round of the 2023 Hana One Q K League 1 at Pohang Steel Yard.
Trailing 1-2, he contributed to the equalizer in the 27th minute. He delivered a sharp free kick into the box to set up Grant’s header for the equalizer, and then took matters into his own hands a minute later.
After intercepting a pass on the left flank, he broke through and played a two-on-one with Zeke to the left side of the penalty box, where he rattled the net with a powerful left-footed shot.
After the game, Wandelsson said, “I’m happy and satisfied with the performance, I’ve been struggling with injuries. I didn’t play well in the last game, so I’m happy to turn it around with an offensive point today.”
After the match against Suwon, Kim harshly criticized Wandelsson. “Wandelsson has been in Korea for a long time, so I think he’s becoming more Koreanized.
He was cursed a lot against Suwon, but he scored a goal. I was wondering if I should get really angry again for the next game.”
In response, Wandelsson said, “That’s right. I was scolded by the coach, and he told me that I needed to play a simpler game.
Actually, I’m happy that I was able to come back in a good way, because he’s a very scolding coach, and I’ll try to do better in the future.”
He continued, “I didn’t play well in the last game, but I utilized my professionalism and showed a good performance in one game. We need to prepare well for Jeonbuk. Still, I want to keep the joy until that day,” he laughed.
Wandelsson is one of the longest-serving foreigners in the K League. He joined Daejeon Hana Citizen on loan in the summer of 2015 and moved to Jeju after just one season.
He returned to his native Brazil after half a season, but spent another loan spell with Pohang in the summer of 2017. He then played for Jeonnam in 2018 and reached his peak with Pohang in 2019.
After two years in the United Arab Emirates, Wandelsson returned to Pohang last year.
“As far as I’m concerned, my best performance was in 2019. It wasn’t a bad choice to go to the Middle East afterward, but it was an opportunity to get to know a new culture.
I was disappointed with my knee injury. Since coming to Pohang last season, my performance has been improving and I am now playing at a high level,” said Wandelsson.
“When I came back to Korea last year, I talked to the coach a lot. He gave me a lot of time to recover. Above all, I have good memories of Pohang, so I was able to adapt quickly.” 먹튀검증