Kim In Seong "I was worried that I would sing it again because I got a lot."
Pohang allowed the first goal in Group J of the 2023/24 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) group stage against Urawa Red Diamonds at Pohang Steel Yard on the 8th, but won 2-1 thanks to Zeka's penalty equalizer in the 21st minute of the second half and Kim In-sung's dramatic come-from-behind goal in the extra time of the second half.
Pohang, the 2023 FA Cup champion, was placed in Group J along with Wuhan Sajeon (China), Hanoi (Vietnam), and the defending champion Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) in the ACL group stage this season. Prior to the match, Pohang took the lead in Group J with all three group matches won.
Pohang, which is aiming for its fourth consecutive group stage win, allowed Guinea striker Jose Kanté to score the first goal in the 36th minute of the first half, giving Urawa the lead in the game. Pohang, which finished 0-1 in the first half, had a chance to tie the match in the 21st minute of the second half when Urawa defender Marius Hueibroten got a penalty kick for a handball foul.
Zekka, who played as a kicker, made the score 1-1 when he neatly scored a penalty kick with a shot that completely deceived the goalkeeper. Later, in the 27th minute of the second half, Urawa winger Takahiro Akimoto was sent off directly for making a dangerous tackle in the process of blocking Ko Young-joon, giving him a numerical advantage.
However, Pohang urgently deployed Kim In-sung as Ko Young-joon complained of severe pain and was carried off on a stretcher. Kim In-sung, who came in as a substitute, led Pohang to the victory amid a tight trend in the 11-10 fight. In the extra time of the second half, captain Kim Seung-dae's cross as he flew before the ball went out of the line hit the goalkeeper's hand, but the second ball fell in front of Kim In-sung, leading to a come-from-behind goal.
Pohang, which won a thrilling 2-1 come-from-behind victory, solidified its lead in Group J by increasing its points to 12 (4 wins). Afterwards, Hanoi defeated Wuhan 2-1, and Pohang confirmed the top spot in Group J regardless of the results of the remaining matches. He made it to the round of 16 with two games left.
After the game, Kim In-sung, the main character of the winning goal, met with reporters at the mixed zone and answered the question and answer. At this time, Kim In-sung drew attention by saying that he belatedly realized that even if he finished second in the ACL group stage, he could fail to advance to the round of 16.
In the UEFA Champions League, called the War of the Stars, 16 teams ranked first and second in each group in the group stage of eight groups will play in the tournament, but the ACL is a little different.
As the team is divided into two regions, East Asia and West Asia, eight of the teams in East Asia can advance to the round of 16. At this time, there are a total of five groups, so the five teams that ranked first in each group will confirm their advance to the round of 16, and the three teams with the best performance among the five teams that finished second will win the round of 16. Therefore, unlike Europe, even if they rank second in the group, they cannot confirm their advance to the round of 16.
Kim In-sung learned about these ACL rules ahead of the Urawa match. "I didn't know second place could fall. I found out while talking in the morning, he said. "I thought the ACL would go up to the second place, but I knew it could fall depending on the points."
"I thought I was comfortable even if I had a draw, but when I heard that story, I recognized that it was an important game (against Ura)," he said. "If I win today's game, I thought it wouldn't be a problem to reach the round of 16, so I hope I won, but I'm glad I won."
Kim In-sung, who was rushed into the game after Ko Young-joon was injured, said in response to the order given by head coach Kim Ki-dong, "He told me about the defensive transition for now. "When I attack, I have my style, so he emphasized when I defend."
"I thought it would be nice to go in and put it in when I got a chance, but I didn't know that (the ball) would come," he said. "I was lucky to dash, but the ball fell forward. I think it was helpful to always focus," he said, expressing his feelings of scoring.
Regarding the winning goal situation, Kim In-sung said, "For now, (Han) Chan-hee looked at me and stabbed me, and when I saw the opponent fall out, I put it in the space," adding, "There are times when I just stand, but I penetrated into the front of the net because I thought a cross would come." "It fell in front of me after hitting the goalkeeper, so I just put my foot on it," he explained in detail.
Regarding the fact that AFC chose MOM (Man of the Match) as Han Chan-hee despite scoring the winning goal, he said, "I've already been on MOM a lot, so I thought about what if I call him again this time. "It's right to receive it because Cha Ni did well today," he said, congratulating Han Chan-hee's selection of MOM.
Regarding the current team atmosphere, Kim In-sung said, "I think it's a natural atmosphere to win now, maybe because I've already raised all my energy during the FA Cup," adding, "I don't think I'll lose no matter who plays." I think I finished two tournaments well this season. I didn't win the league, but I think it's a successful season even if it ends in second place. I will try to finish it well," he said.
With the K League 1 champion already decided as Ulsan Hyundai, Pohang ranked second in the league with 60 points (15 wins, 15 draws and 5 losses) with three games left until the end of the season. With Gwangju FC (57 points, 16 wins, 9 draws and 10 losses) chasing hard in the third place, Pohang will play Ulsan, which won its second consecutive league title, at 4:30 p.m. on the 12th, in the 36th round of the "Hana One Q K League 1 2023" and the East Coast Derby.
The possibility of winning disappeared, but Kim In-sung expressed his desire for victory, saying, "I haven't won against Ulsan yet (this season) with two draws and one loss, and I really want to win." I personally want to win Gwangju, too. I personally want to catch Gwangju rather than Ulsan," he said, drawing attention.
Regarding the reason for the motivation against Gwangju, he explained, "There is no bad relationship, but it was one of the teams that felt that Gwangju soccer was difficult even if it was not in this ranking," adding, "I felt more upgraded than the K League 2 because I ran a lot, was fast, and organized, but now Gwangju is third and we are second, so we must win."