"We won with many fans in a high-pressure home game."
FC Seoul defeated FC Anyang 2-1 in the second round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2025 on the 22nd at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
With this victory, Seoul marked its first win of the season. Captain Lingard scored the opening goal, and Lucas struck a decisive goal.
The match between Seoul and Anyang attracted attention due to the 'relocation' issue. Anyang was formed as a new civic club in 2013, nine years after Anyang LG (the predecessor of Seoul) relocated to Seoul in 2004. Anyang, which succeeded in its first promotion to K League 1 with the K League 2 championship last year, faced rival Seoul in only its second match of the season. The winner was Seoul.
With this victory, Seoul secured its first win of the season, making the record 1 win and 1 loss.
Seoul's coach Kim Gi-dong noted after the match, "There was a lot of pressure in the home game of the second round after failing in the opening match. I am really happy to have won in front of many fans. It’s disappointing that we conceded a goal due to our mistake, like in the Jeju match. If we concede many goals, the pressure increases," adding, "I am really grateful to the many fans who came despite the cold weather. The players were able to gather strength."
Regarding the improved performance in the second half, he said, "I substituted Son Seung-beom earlier than expected. I thought Lucas could perform in tight spaces, so I made that substitution. I told Lingard not to make mistakes and to avoid counterattacks. The various preparations we made worked well. However, I regret the goal we conceded due to a mistake. Overall, it was a match that went as planned."
Coach Kim Gi-dong indicated, "The analysis of Anyang before the match was not significantly different during the game. Lee Seung-mo showed an active defense in front of the central defenders. Moving Jung Seung-won forward was also strategically successful."
After experiencing scoring, regarding Lingard and Lucas, he stated, "Lingard has improved physically, but he needs to regain his condition. Lingard is leading the team well," and added, "I have said that Lucas will get better. It is disappointing that he missed twice in the Jeju match, but I hope today's goal will be a turning point."
Meanwhile, coach Kim Gi-dong said, "Kim Jin-soo and Choi Joon are players who can connect good crosses from the sides, but there was no tall striker to create goals upfront. A decision will be made soon. They will join the team."
[Photo] Provided by Seoul.
[OSEN=Seoul World Cup Stadium, Woo Chung-won]