FC Seoul joined the championship competition, but maintained a cautious attitude.
Seoul beat Gangwon FC 2-0 in the 28th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 over the weekend. With the victory, Seoul has achieved five consecutive league wins for the first time in eight years since the 2018 season, continuing its relentless rise.
Not only the result but also the details of the game. In the first half, Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong shook Gangwon Province in the first half by quickly converting offense and defense based on organic movements. In the first half alone, the team overwhelmed Gangwon with 10 to 2 shots and recorded 10 interceptions, blocking off attacks by banking on strong pressure.
In the second half, Kang maintained his defensive concentration with the team on the offensive. Yazan and Kim Joo-sung’s center back line did not lose ground in the aerial ball competition, and Kang Hyun-moo also made decisive saves. As a result, Seoul only yielded two shots on goal to Gangwon. Seoul, which succeeded in scoreless games, boasted a strong defense line that yielded only one goal during its five consecutive wins.
With 45 points, Seoul has narrowed its gap with top-ranked Gangwon (50 points) to five, joining the competition to win the title. Seoul remained at the bottom of the list in the early and mid-season, but has become a “challenger to the presidential race” by elevating its ranking.
Although there is a possibility, Kim stressed that he will maintain the current level of performance. “I don’t want to talk about that (winning) now. However, they must have a big goal in their minds. I will continue to play one game at a time,” Kim said.
“Ace” Lingard shared the same view. Lingard scored an additional goal and his third of the season in the match against Gangwon Province, sealing the victory.
However, he also provoked Kim’s anger before scoring a goal. Lingard lost the ball to Kang as he missed a pass timing in the 39th minute of the first half. Kim, who was sitting on the bench at the time, expressed regret and strongly demanded concentration by kicking a bottle of water. As Choi Joon-hwan won the ball again, Seoul launched counterattack, and Lingard burst into atonement with a left-footed shot.
Lingard, like Kim, also placed more importance on every game. “I’ve always had the habit of checking the ranking table at the end of the season since I played in the Premier League. I think we need to move forward to achieve a big win (winner) now,” Lingard said. “But it’s more important to win every game than to think about winning right away.” 메이저사이트
After the official press conference, head coach Kim headed to the locker room with Lingard, saying, “I had a hard time playing on the hard grass (in poor condition),” and Lingard also smiled.
Seoul will play against Jeonbuk Hyundai, Daejeon Hana Citizen, and Daegu FC, which have been competing for relegation since the 29th round. They are low ranking but have extraordinary “desperation” to avoid relegation. This is why Seoul remains on edge even though it joins the championship.