'A sweat-drenched 11 vs 10 battle': FC Seoul manager Kim Ki-dong tells players at halftime, "No need for process; winning is all that matters!" [Seoul Olympic Stadium]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Ki-dong (55), the FC Seoul manager on a tear with five consecutive victories, shared his thoughts after the win.

On the 5th at 7 p.m., Seoul secured a 1-0 victory over Incheon United in their 27th-round home match of 'Hana Bank K League 1 2026' at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

With an unbeaten run spanning seven matches (five wins, two draws) and five straight victories, Seoul surged to the top with 59 points (18 wins, 5 draws, 4 losses), holding a commanding 17-point lead over second-place Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (42 points). Meanwhile, Incheon, mired in three consecutive matches without a win (one draw, two losses), sat in ninth place with 34 points (9 wins, 7 draws, 10 losses).

Seoul gained an early numerical advantage when opposing defender Kim Geon-hee received a direct red card just three minutes into the first half. Despite maintaining high ball possession and launching attacks, Seoul struggled to finish their chances, continuing a frustrating flow until the 26th minute of the second half, when an attacking sequence involving Moon Sun-min and Lee Seung-mo culminated in a late own goal by Lee Ju-yong, securing the decisive goal.

After the match, manager Kim Ki-dong stated during a press conference, "This is my first five-game winning streak as a coach," adding, "Even with an opponent's red card, we failed to score for a while, which made us anxious. It was a difficult game until the very end."

He continued, "After the first half ended, I emphasized to the players that 'the details don't matter; all that counts is winning.'" He expressed gratitude to the players who maintained their focus throughout and secured the victory.

Regarding the substitution that brought Clemlara onto the bench, Kim explained, "We originally planned to replace Lee Seung-mo with an attempt at high pressing, but after Clemlara missed a scoring opportunity and showed visible disappointment, we adjusted our plan to substitute him for Huize."

On why defender Park Sung-hoon was substituted immediately after the first half, Kim said, "It's possible he lost focus due to fatigue from training the previous day, showing signs of anxiety. We judged that leaving him on could cause defensive issues, so we made a quick decision."

Commenting on the team's achievement of both the league's highest goal tally and fewest goals conceded simultaneously, Kim stated, "To entertain fans, high scoring is necessary; to win the championship, minimizing goals against is essential. The fact that these two elements are aligning well has brought us to our current position."

Ahead of upcoming away matches against Ulsan HD and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Kim declared, "This match was the most critical turning point of the year. Had we not won today, the remaining schedule would have been daunting. However, having secured points and gained confidence, we will thoroughly prepare for the next games to achieve positive results."

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*This content was translated by AI.