I was not worried even though coach Ahn Ik-soo (58), who leads FC Seoul, presented an unconventional lineup.
Coach Ahn explained the reason for choosing the starting members ahead of the Ulsan Hyundai away game in the 13th round of the’Hana One Q K League 1 2023’ held at Ulsan Munsu Stadium on the 14th at 2:30 pm.
The Ulsan-Seoul match drew great attention as it was a confrontation between the current 1st and 2nd place in the K-League 1 this season. Ulsan is leading the league with 31 points (10 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss), but Seoul, who is second with 23 points (7 wins, 2 draws and 3 losses), is in close pursuit.
With the opportunity to narrow the gap with the leader, coach Ahn decided to lower the main players to the bench in consideration of the aftermath of the midweek game against Gwangju FC in the 12th round of the league on the 9th.
Na Sang-ho, who is currently the top scorer with 8 goals, as well as Ki Sung-yong and Hwang Ui-jo all start the match against Ulsan from the bench.안전놀이터
In a pre-interview with an unconventional lineup, coach Ahn said, “(The selected players) were in good condition, so I was sure they would do a good job. Look at why they did that.”
“Ulsan has a lot of veterans and players with good skills, so it’s important how to limit and attack, but I think we need to reflect on how the preparation process is applied in the first half.”
Regarding midfielder Kim Shin-jin, born in 2001, who started as a starter in the Ulsan game following the last Gwangju game, he expressed his anticipation, saying, “I have a lot of energy. I hope that energy can be shown to be a good synergy for the team.”
Seoul lost 0-1 in the home game against Ulsan in the third round of the league held in March.
Head-to-head, coach Ahn showed a cautious attitude, saying, “There are variables because we analyze and review each other after the first confrontation, so I think we will know it only after playing the game.”