The leader's charge did not stop. FC Seoul solidified its runaway position by defeating Gangwon FC, which had boasted an "unbeaten at Gangneung" record.
Seoul beat Gangwon 2-1 in a K League 1 2026 season round 10 away match held at Gangneung High1 Arena on the 25th. 25 points (8 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss). With one game in hand, second-place Ulsan HD (17 points) trailed by 8 points, further tightening Seoul's hold on first place.
The momentum that had been halted once by the loss to Daejeon Hana Citizen was completely revived. They then won two straight. Following an early-season seven-game unbeaten run (6 wins, 1 draw), they are again on an upward curve.
Gangwon pressed hard from the start. They unsettled Seoul with forward pressure throughout the first half and had the advantage in shots. But finishing was the problem. Despite creating several chances, they had few shots on target and failed to open the scoring.
Seoul made the most of its chance. In the 42nd minute of the first half, after Jeong Seung-won's free kick, Babec calmly put the ball in amid the scramble. It was Babec's K League debut goal after being acquired ahead of this season. With this goal, Seoul's season scorers increased to 10 players.
A variable erupted right after the end of the first half. Seoul's Son Jong-beom and Gangwon's Song Jun-seok collided, escalating a war of nerves. After video assistant referee (VAR) review, both players were sent off. The teams entered the second half playing with 10 men each.
Even with the numerical balance, the flow did not change much. Gangwon continued to press but lacked finishing. Seoul held on and prepared one more decisive strike at the crucial moment.
The match was decided in the 36th minute of the second half. Jo Young-wook played a long ball that Lee Seung-mo received and finished from the right side of the box. It was effectively the decisive insurance goal.
Gangwon chased with a goal by Abudalla in added time of the second half, but that was as far as they got. Seoul held the lead until the end.
With this loss, Gangwon also missed a meaningful record. Their K League 1 home unbeaten run of 24 matches at Gangneung High1 Arena (12 wins, 12 draws) came to an end. The home unbeaten streak that had continued since June last year was also broken.
The difference was finishing. Gangwon created many chances but could not capitalize, while Seoul converted few opportunities into goals accurately. It was the kind of game management befitting the top team.
[OSEN]