Three times in six minutes, and even at the end, 'Gu Seong-yun' was called out... British local media expressed admiration: "Another excellent save"

*This content was translated by AI.

FC Seoul goalkeeper Gu Seong-yun (32) delivered a dazzling display of saves against the prestigious English Premier League (EPL) club Manchester City. British local media also focused intensely on Gu Seong-yun's performance.

Team K-League lost 1-3 to Man City in a friendly match held at Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 5th as part of the 2026 Coupang Play Series.

Man City is one of the top teams not only in the EPL but also in world football. On this day, Man City took the lead with a goal by Rayan Ait Nouri in the 9th minute of the first half, followed by goals from Tijjani Reijnders and Divin Mubama.

In Team K-League, Gangwon FC striker Kim Dae-won shook the net with a spectacular shot.

Near the end of the match, Gu Seong-yun's save display shone brightly. Substituted in during the second half, Gu made no fewer than four super saves from the 36th minute of the second half until added time—about 10 minutes of action.

In the 36th minute of the second half, Gu Seong-yun blocked a long-range shot by Man City striker Omar Marmoush. Five minutes later, he again blocked Marmoush's decisive opportunity. He then made saves against shots from Jeremy Ngakia and Savinho.

The British local newspaper "Manchester Evening News," which was broadcasting the match between Team K-League and Man City in real time, also repeatedly called out Gu Seong-yun's name. In particular, the media highly praised Gu after he blocked Marmoush's second shot, stating, "Another excellent save by the goalkeeper."

Regarding the scene where he stopped Savinho's shot in the second half's added two minutes, the report said, "Savinho was stopped by a great save," and added, "The subsequent shot by Claudio Echeverri went slightly wide of the goal."

Even after the match, high praise for Gu Seong-yun continued. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors manager Jung Jeong-yong, who led Team K-League, said in a press conference, "I'm not sure if I should say this," but still praised Gu by saying, "Gu Seong-yun should move to an even better stage."

Gu Seong-yun himself evaluated the match after it ended against Man City, stating, "I had a personally satisfying game."

Gu Seong-yun, who played for Seoul E-Land in K League 2 last year, joined FC Seoul ahead of this season. From his first season with the club, he has contributed to Seoul's lead in the standings with incredible saves and stable defensive coordination.

Seoul has conceded only 17 goals in 21 league matches this season—a strong record placing them joint second in the league for fewest goals allowed.

Until now, Seoul had been troubled by goalkeeper issues. Choi Cheol-won, Baek Jong-beom, and Kang Hyun-moo guarded the goal, but the club struggled to find a definitive starting goalkeeper.

But this year is different. Gu Seong-yun, a former national team player and "new signing," has resolved Seoul's chronic goalkeeper concerns.

Earlier, Kim Ki-dong, Seoul's general director, praised Gu by saying, "Gu Seong-yun has performed well, making the defensive line very secure. It feels like he makes the game more comfortable."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.