Incheon United defender Oh Ban-seok (35) shared his thoughts on facing Marouane Fellaini (Shandong Taishan) and his determination for the next game.
Incheon lost 0-2 in the third match of the Group G of the ‘2023-24 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL)’ against Shandong held at Incheon Soccer Stadium on the 25th.굿모닝토토
It’s a disappointing result. Incheon put pressure on Shandong by creating scoring opportunities early in the first half. However, opportunities were missed repeatedly, such as Moon Ji-hwan’s header hitting the goalpost or Gerso’s last shot not being caught.
This ultimately led to a goal being conceded in the second half. Shandong’s foreign striker Krizang, who came on as a substitute in the second half, scored with a right-footed shot near the penalty box. At the end of the first half, Marouane Fellaini scored and suffered a defeat at home.
After the game, Oh Ban-seok said, “Although it was a short period of time, I thought I prepared well, but I think there were some shortcomings and insufficient response. There are also some areas where the team struggled under pressure from the opponent. “It’s unfortunate, but I think I’ll have to prepare again for the next game.”
Incheon must play a tight schedule including the K-League, ACL, and FA Cup.
Incheon will play Gwangju FC’s league away game on the 28th and then play Jeonbuk Hyundai in the FA Cup semifinals on the 1st of next month. And on the 7th, we have to go on an expedition to Shandong. The game continues with Del Bridge and Shin Jin-ho ruled out for the season due to injury, and Myung-joo Lee also out due to injury.
Regarding the physical burden, Oh Ban-seok said, “Actually, it is not only for us but also for the Shandong players. This is a mental problem. Mental strength comes with victory, so we will prepare well for the game against Gwangju. The coach may be worried about key players leaving, but there are players who have prepared hard. “I also believe in those players, so I hope to see new players perform well,” he said.
He continued, “This situation is a precious moment for both young and senior players. This is a schedule that all members of Incheon must complete. “Today’s game is disappointing, but if we get a result, we will be able to liven up the mood,” he said.
Incheon’s three-back team, led by Oh Ban-seok, Kwon-jin Kwon, and Kim Yeon-soo, completely blocked Fellaini in the first half. However, they ended up conceding a goal at the end of the second half.
Oh Ban-seok said, “He is a good player. He conceded a goal at the end, but I think he played a good game. He didn’t win at home, but he really wants to win away. As far as I know, we also heard that the expedition has ended. “I will try to do it right again like I did in the Yokohama expedition,” he said.