Crisis-ridden Gangwon FC heads into the FA Cup looking to turn things around.
Kangwon, led by head coach Choi Yong-soo, will host Gimpo FC in the FA Cup fourth round (round of 16) on April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Gimpo Solter Sports Park soccer field. Having been eliminated in the fourth round last year with a 0-2 loss to Suwon Samseong, Gangwon is determined to reach the quarterfinals this time around.
For Gangwon, it’s not just about advancing to the quarterfinals, they need a win to turn things around. Gangwon has recently gone four games without a goal in the league. They have drawn one and lost three in that span and are still in 11th place, the bottom of the league. Even though it’s not a league game, they need a win in the FA Cup to set a good tone for their upcoming match against FC Seoul on the 28th.
However, their opponents are not easy. 먹튀검증 Gimpo FC, a member of the second-tier K League 2, is only in its second year as a professional club, but it is sitting at the top of the K League 2 with the only unbeaten streak (7 wins and 5 draws) in both K League 1 and 2 this season. If you were to line up the current standings of all 25 professional teams in the K League 1 and 2, they are only two places below Gangwon. Adding to the pressure is the fact that this game will be played at Gimpo’s home.
Given the expected difficulty, Gangwon will need to field a number of first-team players. In particular, the team will be looking for striker Lee Jung-hyeop to return from injury. Lee made his comeback after more than three months when he came on as a late substitute against the Pohang Steelers on Nov. 21. After the match, Choi Yong-soo said of Lee, “He came on for about 15 minutes, but he has an advantage in the delivery area and plays well with the players around him,” adding, “I have Gimpo FC and the FA Cup, but I’m trying to get more and more playing time.” It will be interesting to see if Lee Jeong-hyeop can be the savior of Gangwon, which is in crisis.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Yoo Sang-hoon, who was named the MVP of the match after his clean sheet against Pohang, was named to the Best 11 Goalkeepers of the 14th round of the K League 1.