Pro Soccer K League 1 Round 30 Gwangju vs Seoul
Heo Yul scores in the fourth minute for a 1-0 win
Gwangju extends unbeaten streak to 10 games…consolidates 3rd place in the league
Coach Lee Jung-hyo praises players for holding on until the end
Ki Sung-yueng reaches 200 career games with Seoul
‘Promoted team’ Gwangju FC’s surge is scary. After beating Ulsan Hyundai, the leader of the league, and even FC Seoul, the fourth-ranked team, they have solidified their third place.
Gwangju held on to Heo Yul’s goal in the fourth minute of the first half to earn three points in the 30th round of the K League 1 2023 away match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on Sunday. With 48 points, Gwangju trails second-place Pohang Steelers (56 points) by eight points, while widening its goal difference with Seoul to five.
Gwangju is unbeaten in 10 matches (5 wins, 5 draws) since losing 0-1 to Ulsan on July 2 at Gwangju’s own stadium. In their last three games alone, they have defeated Suwon Samsung, Ulsan, and Seoul without conceding a goal.
Previously, Gwangju had gone nine games without a win against Seoul, with two draws and seven losses. Gwangju also set a record for picking up a point against a former club this season.
Gwangju head coach Lee Jung-hyo pressured Seoul with an “attacking soccer” style that featured Thomas and Heo Yul up top and an elevated back line.
In the fourth minute of the first half, Ha Seung-woon’s one-touch heel pass to Heo Yul, who finished low with his left foot in the penalty area, proved to be the game-winner.
Seoul nearly tied the score at 1-1 in the 18th minute when Kim Shin-jin broke through on the right flank, but her shot was ruled offside.
Gwangju added another goal in the 37th minute through Um Ji Sung, but the goal was nullified after video assistant referee (VAR) determined that a foul had been committed first.
“If we lose today, I won’t be able to sleep, so I took the day off first,” Lee told reporters after the game, “I think that’s why it was better,” he said of the victory.
“I think the players did a good job in a tough situation. In terms of performance, I think FC Seoul will be very unhappy, but I think (our players) spoke with the result,” he said, adding, “I really want to praise the players.”
Heo Yul, who scored the game-winning goal, said, “The creative part of our preparation led to the goal,” adding, “The confidence of all the players is very high and we are still trying to play good soccer worthy of third place.”
Seoul lost to Gwangju on the same day and failed to regain third place. Acting Seoul head coach Kim Jin-gyu said, “The players worked hard until the end. It’s a shame that we didn’t score, but I think it’s positive that the players tried their best until the second half.”
Seoul drew a crowd of 20,165 at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, bringing the club’s attendance to 349,281 after 16 home games this season, a new record for Seoul since the introduction of the relegation system in 2013. With his appearance against Gwangju, Ki Sung-yueng has now played 200 games for Seoul.바카라사이트
National team coach Jürgen Klinsmann was also at the stadium, along with coach Cha Doo-ri and Michael Mueller, chairman of the Korea Football Association’s National Strength and Conditioning Committee.