Jesse Lingard (31, England) led FC Seoul to its fifth consecutive victory.
Seoul beat Gangwon FC 2-0 in the 28th round of the K League 1 of the 2024 season at Seoul World Cup Stadium on August 24.
Lingard started as a sagging striker and spent 68 minutes on the ground. When his team was leading 1-0, Lingard also scored a point in the 40th minute of the first half. Taking the lead in Seoul’s fast counterattack, Lingard fluctuated in the Gangwon net with a calm finish. Driven by Lingard’s third goal this season, Seoul successfully narrowed the point gap with Gangwon, the lone lead, to five points.
The following is the Q&A with Lingard, who visited the press conference as a player who has been trained in the game.
Q. How did you feel about the game.
I think his performance in the first half was his best this season. He showed his best performance and scored two goals in the first half alone. In the second half, we were pushed out as we got off. It is a pity that we could not score additional points, but securing three points was an important game. It was a satisfactory game.
Q. My daughter recently visited Korea and had a good time. What did you usually talk about with her.
My daughter liked Korea very much. On the day I went back to England, she said, “I don’t want to leave.” It is my first time to be away from my family for a long time. So it is true that it is hard. I saw my daughter in March and did not meet her. I had a happy time with my daughter while experiencing a new country and culture. It is a pity to say goodbye to my daughter, but I had no choice but to separate for school entrance. I don’t know when I will see her again, but I can’t wait to see her.
Q. What is the biggest difference between Seoul today and Seoul in the first half of the year.
“My mental part changed. At the beginning of the season, I felt the team was not in order. It was not clear what our goal was or what kind of soccer we wanted to play. We also had consecutive home defeats. It was a difficult time. However, that time helped make the team what it is now.”
With the addition of new players in the transfer market this summer, I think the team has become stronger. I feel like the team is in order. I sincerely thank the fans for waiting for me through such a hard time. Now, I have confidence that I can win no matter what team I face. I clearly know what kind of soccer we should play. I feel that the team is in order as I see a way forward. Now, I think we should move forward while looking at something bigger.
Q. Are you talking about winning if it’s bigger.
We talked about winning the championship with the players. We talked about how far we can go. We talked about whether we should aim to win the championship, whether we should aim to finish in the top four, and whether Final A is our priority. I have been looking at the K-League rankings lately. It was the same when I was in England. I have a habit of looking at the rankings in the second half of the season. 메이저사이트
The home game against Gangwon was very important. We proved ourselves strong in such games. What I want to tell the players is that rather than looking at the championship right away, they should bring three points with the determination of the finals in every game. What is certain is that today’s game gives us a chance to win.
Q. It seems like the goal ceremony came from a popular Korean drama.
There was a Korean drama in the TikTok notification. I loved the rhythm of the drama. Before the game, I told (Kang) Joo-hyuk, “If you score a goal, let’s do a ceremony together.” I scored a goal and we could celebrate together.