PK induced by Eo Jeong-won → Lee Ho-jae scores the winning goal! Pohang secures a 1-0 away victory against Incheon... Maintains 4th place with four-game unbeaten streak [Incheon On-Site Review]

*This content was translated by AI.

Pohang Steelers secured a valuable away victory against Incheon United.

On the 12th at 7:30 p.m., Pohang defeated Incheon 1-0 in the 14th round of "Hana Bank K League 1 2026" held at Incheon Football-Specific Stadium.

Pohang continued its spirited four-game unbeaten run (3 wins, 1 draw), maintaining 4th place with 22 points (6 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses). Meanwhile, Incheon dropped from 5th to 6th place with 18 points (5 wins, 3 draws, 6 losses).

The home team Incheon deployed a 4-4-2 formation. Park Ho-min and Park Seung-ho started as the front-line strikers, while Jeong Chi-in, Jeong Won-jin, Seo Jae-min, and Kim Sung-min lined up in the second line. The back four consisted of Lee Ju-yong, Park Kyung-seop, Kim Geon-hee, and Choi Seung-gu. Goalkeeper Kim Dong-heon wore the gloves.

The away team Pohang also lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Lee Ho-jae and Jo Sang-hyeok started as the front-line strikers, with Eo Jeong-won and Hwang Seo-yong deployed as left and right wingers respectively. The midfield was formed by Ki Sung-yueng and Kim Dong-jin. The back four was composed of Kim Ho-jin, Jeon Min-kwang, Park Chan-yong, and Kang Min-jun. Goalkeeper Hwang In-jae guarded the goal.

Pohang opened the scoring early in the match, but the goal was disallowed for offside. In the 12th minute of the first half, Jo Sang-hyeok headed in a cross from Eo Jeong-won into the net, but an offside call was immediately made.

Incheon launched a counterattack and struck the goalpost. In the 22nd minute of the first half, Park Seung-ho intercepted the ball near the center of the opponent's half and unleashed a surprise mid-range shot. The ball hit the left side of the goalpost and bounced out, leaving Incheon disappointed.

Pohang continued to pressure Incheon with dangerous shots. In the 26th minute of the first half, Eo Jeong-won received a penetrating pass from Lee Ho-jae and took a right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty box, but goalkeeper Kim Dong-heon saved it head-on.

Incheon faced a variable in the latter half of the first half when Jeong Won-jin was injured. Jeong Won-jin had his heel stepped on by a Pohang player and was deemed unable to continue, so Lee Myung-joo came on as a substitute.

Pohang took the lead just before the end of the first half, gaining the upper hand. Eo Jeong-won broke into the box but was brought down by a deep tackle from Kim Geon-hee, and the referee immediately awarded a penalty kick (PK). Lee Ho-jae, the designated kicker, deceived the goalkeeper and scored by shooting down the middle, shaking the net.

Incheon launched a counterattack in the 45th minute of the first half. Jeong Chi-in dribbled past the defense and took a ground shot from outside the box, but goalkeeper Hwang In-jae caught the ball.

The first half ended with Pohang leading 1-0.

In the second half, Incheon threatened the goal first. In the 4th minute, Lee Myung-joo took an immediate non-stop shot from the arc circle after a Pohang player headed the ball away. However, goalkeeper Hwang In-jae made a remarkable reflex save against this rocket-like shot.

Desperate for an equalizer, Incheon made substitutions. In the 12th minute of the second half, head coach Park Tae-ha brought on Lee Chung-yong and Ferrier simultaneously to change the attack.

Ferrier, positioned at the front, took a surprise shot from near the arc circle in the 18th minute of the second half but was blocked by Pohang defenders' physical defense. Following that, Park Seung-ho calmly trapped the ball in the center of the box and immediately shot, but the ball went over the goal.

As the match progressed toward its final stages, Incheon continued to press forward. In the 33rd minute of the second half, Kim Geon-hee headed a cross aimed at the goal, and Lee Dong-ryul extended his foot, but the effort came to nothing.

One minute later, Jersono dribbled from the center line into the box and took a powerful left-footed shot, but the ball hit the net outside the goal.

Incheon continued to press until five minutes of added time in the second half but ultimately failed to break through Pohang's goal. The match concluded with a 1-0 victory for Pohang.

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*This content was translated by AI.