FC Seoul, which entered the split round by entering the Final A (1st to 6th place) for the first time in five years, is aiming to return to the Asian stage. The match against the Pohang Steelers this weekend is at a critical juncture.
Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong and his players expressed their commitment to win the match against Pohang at a media day held at GS Champions Park in Guri, Gyeonggi Province on Thursday. Standing in front of reporters with tight lips, Kim said with a smile, “I think I will look like a coach agonizing ahead of the match against Pohang,” adding, “The team also had a hard time as we lost four goals in the first round against Pohang. However, things have changed a lot for both teams now. We must win the match against Pohang to achieve our goal of advancing to the Asian Champions League.”
Seoul lost 2-4 in its first match against Pohang in April. It was a game that hindered Seoul, which had a heavy start in the early stages. It was also a shock to coach Kim, who led Pohang until the last season and took the helm of Seoul this season.
However, as Kim Ki-dong’s leadership slowly melted, Seoul soccer gradually revived and succeeded in advancing to the Final A for the first time since 2019. The next goal is to advance to the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) for the first time in five years. Seoul (53 points, 15 wins, 8 draws, 12 losses) is in an advantageous position in the Asian Champions League ticket competition, which is given to the fourth place, but it is not at ease with three more games to go. Pohang (52 points, 14 wins, 10 draws, 11 losses) and Suwon FC (50 points, 14 wins, 8 draws, 13 losses) are aiming to overtake them.
“Personally and as a team, we started the season aiming for Final A, but we overcame difficult times to achieve our primary goal,” Ki said. “This game is important to advance to the Asian Champions League. Based on recent matches, we can win if we play our own game. It is an opportunity to bring back good memories to our fans.”
Jesse Lingard also said, “(First game of Final A) If we lacked confidence and trust in the match against Gangwon FC (0-1 loss), we gained hope again by winning the match against Suwon FC (1-0). We have nothing more to lose. We will bring good results in the remaining three games to win tickets to the Asian Champions League.”
It is an expectation that Ki Sung-yueng, a veteran who had a hiatus of more than three months during the season due to an Achilles injury, was activated as a substitute against Suwon on the 26th. Coach Kim expressed his will to win, saying, “Sung-yong returned and gave the team a sense of weight and stability. I think this game will be a game that will determine more than 95% of whether to advance to the Champions League.” 먹튀검증
Seoul is also challenging a new history of having more than 500,000 spectators at home in two remaining home games. “Household 500,000 spectators is an opportunity to take a step further,” Ki said. “This week’s game is just as important as that. If we show good performances, I think many spectators will come to our last home game as well. Playing in front of a large crowd gives motivation to the players. This season makes us feel grateful for fans’ love.” Lingard also stressed, “We were able to come here thanks to fans’ support for the past season. We want to play in the Asian Champions League.”