'Unshaken Kim Ki-dong leads with 10-point gap' Coach Kim Ki-dong: "Seoul has changed! We will maintain the difference." [Sangam Field]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ki-dong (55), FC Seoul's head coach, shared his thoughts on leading the league.

Seoul secured a 3-1 victory over Pohang in their 19th-round home match of 'Hana Bank K League 1 2026' at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the afternoon of the 22nd at 7:30 p.m., thanks to Jung Seung-won's multi-goal performance.

Continuing their unbeaten streak of six matches (five wins, one draw), Seoul moved to the top of the table with 42 points (13 wins, three draws, three losses). They hold a commanding 10-point lead over second-place Gangwon FC. Meanwhile, Pohang, who fell into a two-game losing streak, remains in fifth place with 28 points (eight wins, four draws, seven losses).

Jung Seung-won was the standout performer of the day. After Clemarla's opening goal in the 36th minute of the first half, Seoul faced a crisis when Pohang equalized early in the second half. However, Jung scored twice in the 24th and 42nd minutes of the second half to seal the victory. Notably, immediately after each goal, Jung winked at the camera and performed a clever celebration counting the stars on the club emblem, further thrilling the fans.

After the match, Coach Kim Ki-dong began by saying, "I believe we executed our plan for the second half exactly as intended." He continued, "Even in matches where we were leading, there were clear moments of danger, such as against Gimcheon, Anyang, and Jeju. But we created opportunities to bounce back in those games, and I think Seoul has definitely changed." Nevertheless, he added, "We still need to lower our conceded goals further, as befits a top team. We must strengthen our organizational structure even more."

While the team's scoring ability has revived, Coach Kim urged the attacking unit to strive even harder. He stated, "Clemarla showed signs of fatigue during training, and Anderson, who played a full match for the first time in a while, didn't fully capitalize on his scoring chances, which is regrettable." He emphasized, "The two players up front need to perform better so the team can better utilize their abilities."

Regarding their current position as leaders with a 10-point gap over second place, Kim said, "We want to maintain this point lead continuously." He added, "Last season, we collapsed in the latter half due to unforeseen issues, but this year is different. We will continue to emphasize mental resilience so players are not psychologically swayed by external variables such as red cards."

On the upcoming Korea Cup schedule, Kim hinted at a rotation strategy. He noted, "For the Korea Cup, we will not field our best lineup," suggesting a flexible operational plan.

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*This content was translated by AI.