"We will set aside the ACL for now"... Seoul, with all starters benched, suffers 0-3 away defeat in Melbourne: 'K League stars take priority over ACL2'

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

FC Seoul, on the verge of winning the K League 1 title, suffered a heavy defeat in an away match in the AFC Champions League Two (ACL2), falling to their second consecutive loss in the group stage.

Seoul, led by manager Kim Ki-dong, lost 0-3 in a big away defeat against Melbourne Victory in the second match of Group E in the 2026~2027 ACL2 group stage, held on the 14th at Rectangular Stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

Seoul, aiming for the K League 1 title for the first time in 10 years, excluded a large number of starters from this away trip and formed its starting lineup primarily with rookies and non-starters. Seoul will clinch the championship on their own if second-place Ulsan HD draws or loses against Bucheon FC on the upcoming 17th, and wins their home match against Kim Cheon (SVP) on the 18th. Manager Kim has also publicly stated that he will not go all out in the ACL2 until the league title is secured.

The first half was held at 0-0 thanks to a series of saves by goalkeeper Im Jun-seop. Seoul, which launched a counterattack led by the two-striker pairing of Hoois and Cheon Seong-hoon, sought a goal with shots from Park Jang-han-gyeol and a header from Lee Han-do in the late first half, but to no avail.

However, as the second half progressed, the defensive wall, which had been thinned by Melbourne's offensive pressure, collapsed rapidly. Melbourne, fielding players who came on as substitutes in the 18th minute of the second half, took the lead with an opening goal by Guillermo May. Following this, Clarismario Santos added a goal in the 28th minute of the second half, and Jordi Balladong sealed the victory with a long-range shot from outside the box in the 39th minute of the second half, deciding the outcome of the match.

Seoul, which lost both matches following the first leg against Persipura Bandung (Indonesia), remained at the bottom of Group E without any points. On the other hand, Melbourne, who secured a complete victory at home, recorded one win and one draw (4 points).

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original