Lee Il-Chenko (FC Seoul), who tied for the lead in scoring in the K League 1 with the winning goal against Suwon FC
Seoul, led by head coach Kim Ki-dong, won 1-0 with the winning goal of Ilyuchenko in the 22nd minute of the second half in the 32nd round of the “Hana Bank K League 1 2024” home game against Suwon FC at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 29th.
Seoul, which had three points, tied the Pohang Steelers with 14 wins, eight draws and 10 losses and 50 points, but moved up to fifth place by falling behind in multiple points. Suwon, which was one point ahead of Seoul, dropped to sixth place with 14 wins, six draws and 12 losses and 48 points.
The home team, Seoul, played 4-4-1-1. Kang Hyun-moo defended the goal and Kang Sang-woo, Kim Joo-sung, Yazan, and Choi Jun formed the defensive line. Willian, Lee Seung-mo, Ryu Jae-moon, and Cho Young-wook matched in the midfield, while Lingard was the offensive midfielder and Lucas was aiming to score on the front line.
Suwon, the away team, faced off in a 4-3-3 format. Ahn Jun-su wore goalie gloves. Jang Young-woo, Jackson, Choi Kyu-baek and Kim Tae-han made the back four. Noh Kyung-ho, Yoon Bit-garam, and Lee Jae-won were in the midfield, while Jung Seung-won, Andersson, and Park Cheol-woo worked together as a three-top.
Suwon did well in the first half. Seoul set the tone early on, but Suwon threatened Seoul’s goal several times with fierce counterattacks. Seoul managed to block Suwon’s attacks and finished the first half scoreless.
When the game started in the second half, Seoul replaced Willian with Ilyuchenko, and his replacement card hit the bull’s eye. At the 22nd minute of the second half, Ilyuchenko swung Lingard’s cross into the net with a shot that turned his head only. Ilyuchenko tied for the top scorer with Mugosa (Incheon United) with his 14th goal in the league, and Lingard also became the first K-League player to post his first assist.
Lingard swallowed his disappointment by missing a penalty kick at the end of the second half. Seoul defended well against Ilyuchenko’s goal and took the victory.
In a post-match interview, Ilichenko said, “I’m happy to be the top scorer as a striker, but the important thing is to win as a team and bring three points. I’m glad that the competitors won all the teams and we also won three points.”
When asked about Seoul’s chances of winning the championship with six more games to go in the league, he said, “It’s an eight-point gap. In soccer, everything is possible. We cannot say that our goal is to win, but we want to say that it is possible. We will do our best. We have nothing to lose because we have advanced to the top split. I think we need to be in the top four at least.”
On the fact that five of his 14 goals are header goals, he said, “Everything comes from practice. I always practice crossing and shooting after a training session, but all I have to do is practice. When I get the timing and opportunity in a game, I will try my best to show it to the best of my ability.”
“It was motivation before the season. It suits the coach. His style improves my performance. I have a goal for the remaining six games, so I will move forward with him,” he said.
As for his desire to become the top scorer, he said, “At the time, I wanted to kick a penalty kick, but I also wanted to kick Lingard. I failed to score this time, but everything can happen in soccer. I don’t know what the next chance will be, but I can kick it if I have a chance.” 안전놀이터
“I wanted Lingard to score before he kicked. If it’s 2-0, it can be an easy way to go. Lingard looked disappointed, and I thought I should keep a goal because I had a lot of time. I’m not angry. In soccer, everything can happen, and I could have been the one who missed,” he added.
Regarding his improved teamwork with Lingard, he said, “There was a time when Lingard was injured. I felt he was getting better every time I continued to play in each game. I have to show my best performance in the remaining six games. I think it’s good to work well with all the players.”