'Incheon away victory' Coach Park Tae-ha praises Lee Ho-jae for 'valuable winning goal': "Much improved in pressure, linking play, and more compared to last year" [Incheon]

*This content was translated by AI.

Park Tae-ha (58), head coach of Pohang Steelers, shared his thoughts after defeating Incheon United on the road.

On the 12th at 7:30 p.m., Pohang secured a 1-0 victory in the 14th round of the 'Hana Bank K League 1 2026' away match against Incheon at Incheon Football Stadium.

Pohang continued their unbeaten run in four matches (3 wins, 1 draw) and maintained fourth place with 22 points (6 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses). Meanwhile, Incheon dropped from fifth to sixth place with 18 points (5 wins, 3 draws, 6 losses).

In a difficult away match against Incheon, Pohang did not miss the penalty kick (PK) opportunity that came late in the first half, converting it into the winning goal. Although Jo Sang-hyuk's early goal was disallowed for offside, leading to some frustration, Eo Jeong-won drew a penalty inside the penalty box just before the end of the first half. Lee Ho-jae, who took the kick, calmly converted it, giving Pohang the early advantage.

In the second half, Pohang faced some challenges against Incheon's fierce counterattacks. However, goalkeeper Hwang In-jae's remarkable reflex saves, combined with the defense's persistent efforts, allowed Pohang to hold on to their one-goal lead without conceding.

After the match, Coach Park Tae-ha said in a press conference, "The players must have been very tired due to the tight schedule, but they remained focused until the end and secured a victory, showing a very good performance." He added, "I would like to thank the Pohang fans once again for traveling such a long distance to support us."

He continued, "The early play did not go as planned, so we made adjustments to our defense. Moving Kim Dong-jin higher up and shifting Lee Ho-jae from the two-striker formation to the No. 10 position put pressure on the opposing midfielders, which proved effective."

Coach Park Tae-ha did not hesitate to praise Lee Ho-jae, who became the top contributor to the victory with the winning goal. "His performance has improved significantly compared to last year. He has become better at starting the forward press, leading the play, ball touches, and linking up with teammates. All aspects have improved," Park said, adding, "Lee Ho-jae is playing a major role in keeping the team on track."

Regarding Jo Sang-hyuk, who showed active movement in the forward line, Park stated, "I believe that moving from the wings into the central area better utilizes his strengths, like a 'perfect fit.'" On the U-22 players, he emphasized, "Players in their early twenties are not physically or technically inferior. They must compete on equal footing without being constrained by age for both individual and team development."

Finally, Coach Park Tae-ha commented on the team's performance so far: "There are still many areas that need improvement, but it is encouraging to see the players' strong desire to win and their growing confidence." He concluded, "We will play well in the final match before the break, use the break to address our shortcomings, and achieve better results."

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*This content was translated by AI.