Both the winning Incheon United coach Cho Sung-hwan and the losing Gwangju FC coach Lee Jung-hyo said, “I want to praise the players. What parts of the players looked good to the managers?
Incheon secured a 2-0 victory against Gwangju in the 35th round of the Hana One Q K League 2023 at Gwangju Football Stadium on Nov. 28 with goals from Woo Ji-jin in the 30th minute and Kim Min-seok in the 38th minute. Incheon earned the three points despite fielding an unconventional lineup that included seven players under the age of 22.
In the 30th minute of the second half, Incheon, who had been playing ‘all-out defense and counterattack’ throughout the game, had an accident. After receiving the ball on the counterattack and dribbling downfield, Incheon 2004 midfielder Choi Woo-jin reached the front of the Gwangju box and fired a left-footed mid-range shot in front of Gwangju defender Kim Seung-woo. The shot was one-bound and found the bottom right corner of the Gwangju goal to give Incheon a 1-0 lead. It was Choi Woo-jin’s first goal in the K League.
In the 38th minute of the second half, Incheon midfielder Kim Hyun-seo’s left-footed shot from inside the Gwangju box was deflected by the defense, and forward Kim Min-seok slotted it home with his right foot in the box to give Incheon a 2-0 lead. The match ended with a 2-0 victory for Incheon as no further goals were scored.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Incheon head coach Cho Sung-hwan said, “We worked hard to prepare. It’s a game with a lot to gain. I want to give the players 100 out of 120 points. It was a rewarding day as a coach.”
Cho continued, “In the second half, I asked them to focus more on offense. The players kept the momentum going in the second half and we were able to win. I am confident that we can play a lot of players in the FA Cup-Asian Champions League schedule in the future.”
Gwangju head coach Lee Jung-hyo, who also attended the press conference, said, “I want to congratulate Incheon. The young players worked hard and earned the points. Gwangju lost because of me. We were not prepared for the situation when the opponent went down. If we encounter a similar situation in the next game, we will prepare in more detail and not make the same mistakes.”
Lee also said, “When the opponent has a lot of numbers in the penalty box, one move and one touch can decide the game. The players worked hard, but it was a mistake by the coach. There were some mistakes, but they were made in the process of continuing to play Gwangju’s soccer, so I would rather say they did a good job,” he said, applauding the players’ efforts. 메이저놀이터