Oberdan's early strike sinks Seoul's VAR misery (Pohang vs Seoul analysis) | OneFootball

Pohang Edge Past Seoul in Tight K League Contest

Early Strike Proves Decisive

Pohang Steelers secured a narrow 1-0 victory over FC Seoul at the Steelyard on Sunday, with Oberdan's early goal proving the difference in a closely contested K League 1 fixture.

The Brazilian midfielder struck in the 7th minute, finishing with his left foot after Jorge Teixeira created the opening during a swift counter-attack. It was Oberdan's third goal of the season and ultimately enough to lift Pohang to sixth in the table.

FC Seoul thought they had equalized just before the interval when Lucas Silva found the net, but VAR intervened to rule the effort offside, compounding a frustrating afternoon for Kim Gi-Dong's side.

Injury Woes Continue for Seoul

Seoul's problems began early when Willyan was forced off after just nine minutes with a right leg injury, adding to their ongoing midfield crisis with Ki Sung-Yueng and Jeong Seung-Won already sidelined.

Moon Seon-Min, who replaced Willyan, nearly made an immediate impact but saw his effort strike the woodwork in the first half as Seoul's luck deserted them.

The visitors pushed hard for an equalizer after the break, with January signing Marko Dugandžić coming closest in the 85th minute, only to be denied by a crucial save from Pohang goalkeeper Hwang In-Jae. Defender Kim Ju-Sung then headed narrowly wide in stoppage time as Seoul's final chance went begging.

Contrasting Fortunes

The result sees Pohang avoid back-to-back defeats and register their third consecutive home win, climbing to 15 points in the process. Park Tae-Ha's side demonstrated tactical discipline throughout, particularly in defense where they withstood significant late pressure.

For Seoul, the defeat marks their first consecutive losses of the season, extending their winless run to four matches. They drop to seventh place with 13 points, highlighting the congested nature of the K League 1 table where just five points separate second from tenth place.

Both teams fielded lineups reflecting their contrasting tactical approaches – Pohang in their balanced 4-4-2 with the effective strike partnership of Lee Ho-jae and Jorge Teixeira, while Seoul deployed their familiar 4-2-3-1 featuring Jesse Lingard in the attacking midfield role.