'A dramatic turnaround in Gimcheon': FC Seoul coach Kim Ki-dong says, "It must have been psychologically difficult for Yazan, who provided the opportunity for the goal; I will comfort him well" [Sangam Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ki-dong (55), FC Seoul coach, expressed his regret over the comeback loss to Kim Cheon (SVP).

On the 2nd at 2 p.m., Seoul suffered a 2-3 comeback loss in the 11th round of the 'Hana Bank K League 1 2026' home match against Kim Cheon (SVP) at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

With their second loss of the league, Seoul maintained the top spot with 25 points (8 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses). Gimcheon, extending their two-game winning streak, jumped from 10th to 7th place with 13 points (2 wins, 7 draws, 2 losses).

Seoul held the initiative until the middle of the second half, but their defensive focus was lacking. Despite aggressively pressing from the start and launching attacks, they conceded the opening goal. However, Yazan's equalizer soon followed, and Bawetz's stunning comeback goal in the second half gave them a 2-1 lead, seemingly showcasing the strength of the league leaders.

However, they could not maintain the favorable momentum until the end. After the middle of the second half, fatal defensive errors occurred consecutively during aerial duels and clearing processes, leading to consecutive goals by Park Tae-jun and Kim In-gyun, resulting in a 2-3 comeback loss.

After the match, coach Kim Ki-dong entered the press conference room with a somber expression. He said, "I am disappointed to have lost today's match. We played well in the first half as intended, but the strikers lacked finishing and final passes. In the second half, rather than being systematically overwhelmed by the opponent, the loss of focus and complacency by our players led to mistakes that resulted in goals."

On this day, Seoul's defense lost focus and provided opportunities for the opponent to score. Coach Kim Ki-dong explained, "I expected good performances from Kim Jin-soo, Ross, and Yazan, who started for the first time in a while, but the chemistry among the defenders was slightly off. Yazan himself must have been psychologically very strained, so I will comfort him well. However, the part where we were pushed back and struggled needs to be reviewed again."

He also expressed deep regret over the trend of showing strong performance against top-tier teams but suffering sudden blows from lower-ranked teams. Coach Kim Ki-dong stated, "I always emphasize that to win the championship, we must secure victories against teams we are supposed to beat. The players are aware of this, but it doesn't seem to be as easy as they think. There are still many shortcomings in our team, and it is my role to fill them."

Although they finished the first round in first place, Coach Kim is determined to treat this season's first comeback loss as a lesson. He said, "As time passes, I fear the players may have become complacent and lazy. I firmly told them that they must never harbor such thoughts."

He continued, "There must never be another match where we get comebacks and collapse like today. In the second round, we will build the strength to overcome difficult situations and show better performances."

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*This content was translated by AI.