For Lee Geun-ho, who still has three games left in the K League, the FA Cup is probably the first thing to come to an end in his career this season. -Of course, the AFC Champions League is already over until 2022.
In the first week of November, when the K League takes a break, the FA Cup is down to the final between Jeonbuk Hyundai and Pohang Steelers. As our professional soccer team looks to win its first trophy this season, we take a look back at Lee Geun-ho’s last FA Cup challenge as a player in a special Daegu MBC special, “Lee Geun-ho’s Last Dance,” as he plans to retire.
Five goals and one assist in 31 games
In total, Lee played in 13 seasons in the FA Cup. After appearing in one game each in 2004 and 2005 for his professional debut team, Incheon United, Lee moved to Daegu FC, where he also tasted his first points in two consecutive seasons in 2007 and 2008.
After returning from his overseas stint, Lee returned to the FA Cup with Ulsan Hyundai and Sangju Sangsang, and has since played in the FA Cup with Jeju United and Gangwon FC, and again with Ulsan and Daegu. In total, Lee has made 13 appearances in 31 competitions for six teams, scoring five goals and providing one assist.
First FA Cup goal with Daegu FC
After leaving Incheon, Lee came into his own in Daegu, where he impressed in the 2008 FA Cup, helping the club reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
Having had a relatively easy FA Cup campaign, facing lower league teams in the round of 32 and round of 16, Daegu faced Ulsan Hyundai, the league’s third-ranked team, in the quarterfinals. Facing a tough opponent on a wooden bridge, the match was played at Daegu Stadium on November 5, 2008, with Daegu conceding an early goal. It was Lee Geun-ho’s back-to-back goals that saved the day.
It was the only FA Cup multi-goal game of his career, and Lee’s association with the FA Cup seemed to foreshadow a good start, as he impressed with the equalizer and the game-winner, sending the team to their first ever FA Cup quarterfinal. 무지개토토
Two goals for Ulsan–and a runner-up finish
After a stint in the J-League, Lee returned to Korea for the 2012 season, but this time for Ulsan Hyundai, where he scored his FA Cup comeback goal in a 6-1 quarterfinal victory over a rather easy opponent, Goyang KB Kookmin Bank.
After reaching the quarterfinals once again, Lee looked to reach the first FA Cup final of his career, but both he and his team went scoreless in the semifinals, losing 0-3 to Gyeongnam.