Incheon on the brink after dreadful performance | OneFootball

Incheon United took another step towards a first-ever relegation following a brittle showing against championship outsiders Gangwon FC on Sunday. Aside from a stirring rally leading to Hong Si-hoo's equalizer, Incheon were second best for the entire game. The international break can't come soon enough.Incheon United 1 (Hong Si-hoo 72')

Gangwom FC 3 (

There was a fleeting moment after the hour mark when Incheon United looked like they'd pull off a miracle win against high-flying Gangwon. Gerso Fernandes was off the bench, causing havoc. The noise levels were deafening and for the only time in 90 minutes, Incheon were creating chances and making passes. The visitors were a goal and a man up but they were rattled. Hong Si-hoo equalized sending the home fans into raptures. Either side of that goal, Incheon had all the momentum.

But that was it. It was short-lived but it was thrilling. Incheon created nothing in the opening 60 minutes and were hanging on to dear life for a 2-goal loss by the end. It could have been 5, 6, 7....you name it. Lee Beom-soo was exceptional in goals for Incheon, saving an early penalty and making a host of big saves. But otherwise, his team, down to 10 men for 40 minutes, were torn to shreds.

Gangwon have made a habit this season of fooling Incheon. And for most of this game, it looked like the plan would be repeated. They won an early penalty - which was saved - but deservedly took the lead through wonderkid Yang Min-hyeok. It is hard to believe this is the same Gangwon that bored K League 1 to sleep in 2023. Their football is slick, and fast, and there's always a free man in space to pass to.

This win means they enter the split in third, just six points off first. There'll be an inquisition into how they allowed Incheon to gain an upper hand after Matej Jonjic's disgraceful red card but for most of the match, they were quite clearly the superior side. A championship run is not beyond them, but it remains unlikely.

Yang, only a few months from completing his move to Tottenham Hotspur, was brilliant on the right side of their front three. He scored the first, created the penalty, assisted the second, should have grabbed another, and was generally lively and creative throughout.

Incheon, more than any side in Korea, will be delighted with the upcoming international break. In the first half, they couldn't string together any number of passes, making life extraordinarily easy for their visitors. The rally after Jonjic's red will give them confidence, also that the other teams at the bottom seem incapable of pulling clear of the relegation zone. But Incheon are officially three points from 11th with just five matches to play.

What will also give them an uplift is Incheon's form against their relegation rivals is very strong. 25 of their 33 total points have come against the sides at the bottom. The relegation battle is far from over and there's a spine of a very good team to work with. The problem is, collectively, they can't play football to a high standard.

Gangwon missed a glorious chance to take an early lead. Kim Do-hyeok handled Yang Min-hyeok's low cross from the right. The referee didn’t see the infringement but the assistant on that side gave the decision. Kovačević's penalty was well struck, but it was the perfect height for goalkeeper Lee Beom-soo who guessed correctly and got a big hand to push it out of danger.

One minute later, Lee made another great save from Kovačević. The rebound fell to Yoo In-su but his effort was cleared off the line. Incheon were ragged but their fans were going completely crazy behind the goal. It was just a question of whether the players on the field could find the same energy as those in the stands. Incheon needed it because Gangwon were running them off the park, especially Yang on the right.

The longer the half went on, the more the pitch cut up. Yang Min-hyeok, the golden boy of K League, was seen several times repairing damage to the surface around the centre circle. Talking to players, they’re extremely frustrated by the poor quality of the K League pitches in both divisions. This can’t be allowed to happen next season again.

Naturally, the home team settled defensively after that opening salvo but they were incapable of producing anything in attack. Incheon struggled to put together three passes for most of the opening quarter. Their midfielders would constantly give the ball away and when Stefan Mugosa fought to reclaim possession in the Gangwon box, Kim Do-hyeok was indecisive and the chance disappeared.

It was clear from the opening half, which team is sitting near the top, and which is at the bottom. Any time a Gangwon player looked to be in trouble, he had a spare man on his shoulder. Some of the touch play was exhilarating. This was in stark contrast to Incheon, who were now giving away silly free kicks regularly. Kim Do-hyeok was the first into the referee’s notebook for a kick to the head of Kim Kang-gook.

The flatness of Incheon’s display would finally be punished on 35 minutes. And who else, but Yang Min-hyeok nabbed the goal. The official team sheet had the future Tottenham Hotspur forward as playing on the left side of the front three, but he nipped in on the right side to slash home the opener. The exciting Yang had several touches in the build-up to the goal. The more Gangwon gets the 18-year-old on the ball, the more chances they will create. Yang just runs and runs all day.

Kim Geon-hee joined his teammate Do-hyeok in the book for a rash tackle on halfway. It was really startling how little urgency there was in Incheon’s play, especially given their precarious position at the foot of the table. A moment that really summed up Incheon's poverty on the counter came just before the break. With 4 on 3 and Mugosa unmarked, Lee Myung-joo took too much time, gave the ball away, and then fouled his opponent.

Incheon might be 12th but Gangwon probably expected a fight from their hosts. It was more comfortable for the visitors in the opening half than one could imagine.

The second period had begun similar to the first but instead of a domination leading to an early penalty for the visitors, they found themselves a man up. Matej Jonjic was given a straight red for a wild, two-footed lunge on compatriot Kovačević. The Croatian didn’t have any complaints as he exited the field but this is clearly not what his teammates needed.

To make matters worse, the quality of the pitch had by now completely deteriorated. It was the same for both sides but when you’re chasing a game with a man down, a dreadful surface is not what you need.

Gangwan should have wrapped up the game on 60 minutes as they looked to make the extra man count. First, Song Jun-seok was played through one-on-one. With Kovačević free in the middle, the defender went alone and chipped Lee Beom-soo in goal. Unfortunately for Gangwon and Lee, the ball ricocheted off the crossbar.

Moments later, Yang Min-hyeok tore down the right. A decisive second felt inevitable but Lee pulled off another great save in the home goals. Those two misses seemed to inspire Incheon. Stefan Mugosa brought a superb header from Lee Gwang-yeon. Mugosa was offside but the keeper did not know. Second later, Gerso broke down the left and almost found Mugosa in the middle for what would have been a certain goal.

A home corner was greeted with the loudest cheer of the day. Sport is all about momentum and suddenly Incheon had it all. Gangwon were rattled. Gerso again found space down the left but his cross was cut out by Lee in goals as Hong Si-hoo looked to tap home the equalizer. For the first time, this felt like a proper contest. And the noise was deafening.

And then it happened. 10-man Incheon pulled level. The ball traveled a long way past a lot of players from a free kick before finding its way to a gleeful Hong Si-hoo. Hong spun and fired home. It was a goal Incheon fully merited since going down a man. Hang on or go for broke, Incheon? Either way, it was game on.

Gabriel, a second-half change for Kovačević, thought he had retaken the lead for his team but his excellent first-time h,sot from the edge of the area was brilliantly saved by Lee Beom-soo. This was turning into a big game for Incheon’s goalkeeper.

Just when it looked like the winning goal might come from the home side, Incheon conceded a nightmare second. Choi Woo-jin scuffed a free kick 40 yards out straight at Yang. He played a one-two with substitute Lee Sang-heon, who rounded Lee Beom-soo and fired into the empty net. It was a remarkably brilliant counter-attack but all from one of the worst free kicks you’ll ever see. If Yang Min-hyeok touches the ball twice in a move, Gangwon scores.

Lee Sang-heon added his second in added-on time, thanks to half-assed defending from a corner. They could have put more on the board but the damage was well and truly done.

Line ups

Incheon United: 25. Lee Beom-soo; 14. Choi Woo-jin, 2. Kim Keon-hee, 82. Matej Jonjić, 28. Min Gyeong-hyeon; 23. Jeong Dong-yoon, 5. Lee Myung-joo; 7. Kim Do-hyeok, 40. Paul-Jose M'poko, 27. Kim Bo-seop; 9. Stefan Mugosa.

Substitutes: 1. Min Seung-jun, 3. Kim Yeon-su, 47. Kim Dong-min, 66. Kim Se-hoon, 11. Gerso Fernandes, 24. Kim Min-seok, 26. Kim Seong-min, 37. Hong Si-hoo 77. Park Seung-ho

Gangwon FC: 1. Lee Kwang-yeon; 13. Lee Ki-hyeok, 2. Kim Yong-bin (c), 74. Marko Tuci; 34. Song Jun-seok, 18. Kim Kang-gook, 97. Lee Yoo-hyeon, 88. Hwang Moon-ki; 47. Yang Min-hyeok, 9. Franko Kovačević, 17. Yoo In-su.

Substitutes: 21. Park Cheong-ho, 30. Shin Min-ha, 20. Yoon Suk-yeong, 16. Kim Woo-seok, 42. Kim Dong-hyeon, 15. Jin Jun-soo, 10. Vitor Gabriel, 37. Jeong Han-min, 22. Lee Sang-heon.

The fans

The atmosphere was amazing, from both sets of fans. I go to a lot of K League 2 games and it is on days like this, you realize the gap between the two. I don't know if Gangwon sold out their section, but it certainly looked like they did. As for Incheon, the fact that they refrained from booing off their players was a positive sign. They were brilliant today. Pity you can't say the same about the players.

Up next

We await the fixture for Final A and Final B. Incheon look to avoid relegation and Gangwon need points to continue their faltering and unlikely title push.

Best player: Yang Min-hyeok.Attendance: 14,434.