A goal by Ji Dong-won, his first in two years, helped FC Seoul secure victory in their first match of the final round.
Seoul defeated Gangwon FC 2-1 at home in the 34th round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 at Seoul World Cup Stadium on April 22. The win keeps Seoul in seventh place (13 wins, 11 draws, 10 losses, 50 points) and Gangwon in 11th place (4 wins, 14 draws, 16 losses, 26 points).
Seoul dropped to Final B (7th-12th) after suffering a heartbreaking 0-2 loss to Jeonbuk Hyundai in the final 33 rounds of the regular season. After four straight years of Final B, Seoul was desperate to turn things around.
Seoul’s fans, or “guardian spirits,” also turned the tables. Angry fans hung a rag in the stadium. “Seoul, the No. 1 average attendance in the 2023 season, is rewarded with four consecutive sub-splits? The reward they want is the Asian stage and trophies made with their blood and sweat,” it read.토토사이트
Seoul’s acting head coach Kim Jin-gyu was well aware of this ‘fan spirit’. Before the game, he said, “Our motivation is only to win the hearts of the fans. I urged the players to win the hearts of the fans,” he said, vowing a must-win.
Gangwon is in no hurry. They’re in a battle for survival with last-place Suwon Samsung, so every game is a battle to the death.
Seoul came out with a different lineup. Instead of Ilyuchenko in the front line, the speedy Willian and Han Seung-gyu tried to break in from behind, but it didn’t work out as Kim hoped. Gangwon ended the first half with a clean sheet despite losing possession to Seoul.
Seoul brought on Kim Shin-jin at the start of the second half to revitalize their attack. They eventually took the lead eight minutes into the second half when Na Sang-ho deflected a free kick into the back of the net, but conceded the equalizer in the 32nd minute on a Gangwon counterattack. Gallego sent in a low, quick cross from the right side that Gabriel finished.
Seoul refused to give up, and Ji Dong-won stepped up to the plate. In the 35th minute, Park Soo-il’s header bounced off the post, and Ji-dong-won finished with his head. It was his second goal since joining Seoul, two years and two months after scoring against Gwangju FC in August 2021. Ji Dong-won’s fixer-upper instincts saved Seoul.
