FC Seoul drew 1-1 with Pohang Steelers in the 18th round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 6 p.m. on Nov. 11. The draw keeps Seoul in third place in the league (29 points) with eight wins, five draws and five losses in 18 games.
Seoul’s finishing was poor. After Hwang Eui-jo scored a valuable early goal in the 37th minute and defended it well, it looked like the game would end in a 1-0 Seoul victory. However, they were unable to hold off Pohang’s late surge. Pohang’s Ha Chang-rae scored a dramatic equalizer in stoppage time, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
In this match, Seoul’s signature midfielder Shin Sang-hyeop played the second half at left fullback. After the usual left fullback Lee Tae-seok went down with an injury, Sang-hyun took his place on the left wing. Seoul head coach Ahn Ik-soo didn’t make any changes and kept him at fullback until the end of the game.
“It wasn’t a surprise,” he said. Even when I look at the midfield, I play a lot defensively to support the aggressive Na Sang-ho,” he said, showing that he wasn’t too bothered by the late position change.
“It’s very unfortunate that we conceded a late goal to draw,” he said, adding, “It’s especially unfortunate that we conceded a goal on a set piece.” “We will rest well during the break and try to compensate for each other’s shortcomings,” he said, referring to Seoul’s lack of victories in their last three matches, especially in the final minutes of games.
Teammate forward Hwang Ui-jo has one final game left on his contract with Seoul. “It would be great if he stays in Seoul,” said Kim Sang-hyeop about Hwang’s future. However, he was quick to add, “We don’t talk about the future of players at all. The player’s future should be left to the player,” he said, ending the interview without elaborating on Hwang’s future.
- Was the switch to defense a foregone conclusion?
Not really. When I play, I usually play a lot of defense. When we play, I usually play a lot of defense.
- Weren’t you disappointed with today’s match?
I’m very disappointed. I’m a little disappointed that the goal came from a set piece.
- In the second half, my performance dropped a little bit and I was wondering what was the reason for the loss. The coach looked very upset. What did he say to you after the game?
He didn’t say anything at first. In the second half, we lost a lot of players physically, so we had to play defense.
- Did you have any idea how Pohang was going to play?
We basically played in Pohang, so we had some expectations. I think we played well in the first half, but in the second half, we had some injuries, so the team balance was a little off.
- What did the players talk about after the game?
Everyone was very disappointed. It felt like we lost even though we won.
- After the game, you went to the Pohang fans and greeted them. How did you feel?
Pohang is a very grateful team to me. I had my second peak in Pohang, so the fans were very welcoming. I am very grateful to Pohang.
- The next game is Suwon again. You’re facing one team after another.
There are so many hometown teams… (laughs) It’s another game we can’t back down from. Especially in a super match, we have to win. We will prepare well during the break. We’ll try to push on to second place.
- Three matches without a win. You’ll have to prepare well for the break, but what can you tell us as a senior player?
We’ve played a lot of matches and we need a break. Under the coach’s guidance, we need to work on what we lacked.
- There have been a lot of matches where we have drawn or lost because we scored a goal in the last minute. What do the players think?
We are very disappointed. We need to use this break to improve. 먹튀검증
- On a separate note, Hwang Eui-jo might be playing his last home game, but are you talking about his future?
We don’t talk about that. It would be great if he (Hwang) stays. But we don’t talk about it because it’s a sensitive issue among the players. (Laughs) It’s up to the players to decide their future.