November 2, 2023
Pohang Steelers have reached the FA Cup final for the first time in a decade. They beat Jeju United in a hard-fought match that was goalless for 120 minutes and eventually went to penalties. They will now face Jeonbuk Hyundai for the trophy on April 4.
Pohang conceded an early goal in their Hana OneQ FA Cup 2023 quarterfinal match against Jeju at Jeju World Cup Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 1, but Kim In-sung equalized and the match went into extra time, where they won 4-3 on penalties.
With the win, Pohang advanced to the final for the first time in 10 years since 2013 and continued their quest for their fifth title. Pohang will play the final on April 4 at home against the Pohang Steelers, the same team they beat to win the last FA Cup in 2013.
Jeju, on the other hand, hung their heads in shame as their plans to reach the final for the first time in 19 years, since 2004, fell apart. The disappointment was compounded by the fact that the team missed out on the chance to reach the final despite the passionate support of their fans at home. Their quest for the first title in their history also came to an end.
Pohang came out with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Zeca was on the front line. Kim Seung-dae, Go Young-joon, and Kim In-sung led the attack from the second line. Han Chan-hee and Kim Jong-woo formed the midfield. Park Seung-wook, Grant, Ha Chang-rae, and Shin Kwang-hoon formed the back four. Hwang In-jae wore the goalkeeping gloves.
Jeju countered with a 4-4-2 formation. Seo Jin-soo and Kim Bong-soo played up top to lead the attack. Hayes, Kim Gun-woong, Choi Young-joon, and Jonatan Ling protected the back. Jung Woon, Lim Chae-min, Yeon Je-woon, and Lim Chang-woo formed the defense. Kim Dong-jun was in goal.
Jeju broke the tense balance first. On a counterattack in the 42nd minute, Kim Bong-soo delivered a long pass from the top of the halfway line to the penalty arc, where Seo Jin-soo, who was making a quick run from behind, calmly controlled the ball and slotted a left-footed shot into the corner of the goal.
Pohang, who were down by a goal, continued their offense and soon equalized. In the 14th minute of the second half, there was a scramble in front of the goal after a corner kick by Ko Young-joon, and Kim In-sung found the back of the net with a fantastic half-volley from Zeca's pass.
Jeju made a change to turn the tide. In the 16th minute of the second half, they brought off Jonathan Ling and brought on Kim Seung-seop. In the 30th minute, they brought on Hayes and Yuri. However, the frustrating flow continued as they failed to create any chances.
It was a similar story for Pohang. They had more possession in the offensive zone and were creating chances, but the passes weren't flowing well in front of the goal. In response, they made a substitution. In the 31st minute of the second half, they took out Ko Young-joon and put in Lee Ho-jae. However, they were unable to overturn the score in the remaining time, and the game went into overtime.
Pohang pushed forward in the overtime period with a series of attacking chances. In the first four minutes of overtime, Zeca's shot in front of the goal was blocked. In the ninth minute of the second half of overtime, Hong Yun-sang's cross was headed by Lee Ho-jae, who was rushing in front of the goal, but goalkeeper Kim Dong-joon made the save.
Pohang continued to attack. In the 11th minute of extra time, Han Chan-hee's mid-range shot sailed over the top of the goal post. In the 13th and 14th minutes of overtime, Zeca and Kim Jong-woo had shots on goal, but neither were converted. In the end, the score remained unchanged in overtime, and the match headed to penalty kicks.
The penalty shootout was evenly matched from the first kick. Jeju's Jeong-woon calmly converted. Pohang, on the other hand, felt the pressure as Zeca was booed by the crowd and was saved by 스포츠토토 goalkeeper Kim Dong-jun. However, the balance was restored in the second kick. Jeju's Lim Chae-min missed, while Pohang's Park Chan-yong converted.
Both teams converted their third kicks. Jeju's was converted by Yuri Jonatan, while Pohang's rattled the net by Shim Sang-min. However, the tie was reversed in the fourth kick. Kim Bong-soo's kick was blocked by goalkeeper Hwang In-jae, while Pohang's was converted by Han Chan-hee.
Jeju's fifth kick was converted by Yeon Je-woon. Pohang's final kicker, Lee Ho-jae, calmly scored the goal. In the end, the game ended as it was, with Pohang winning the match and advancing to the final to face Jeonbuk.
