The Pohang Steelers and Jeonbuk Hyundai, who met in the regular season of professional soccer’s K League 1 over the “ineligible player controversy,” will meet again in the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup final.
Pohang defeated Jeonbuk Hyundai 4-3 on penalties after drawing 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time in the 2023 Hana OneQ K League 1 semifinals at Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, on Monday.
Jeonbuk also defeated Incheon United 3-1 in the earlier match to complete the field for this season’s FA Cup final.
Pohang qualified for their first title in 10 years after the 2013 season.
Their final opponent was Jeonbuk. After a 1-1 tie in regulation and extra time, Pohang won 4-3 on penalties to become the eventual winners.
The two teams had a ‘bad blood’ not only a decade ago but also recently.
The two teams met in the 35th round of this season’s K League 1 at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on March 28 and drew 1-1, but there was confusion during Pohang’s substitution process that left the team with 12 players for about four and a half minutes.
Jeonbuk claimed a forfeit because they played with 11 “ineligible players,” while Pohang admitted that they made a mistake with their roster but blamed the referees.
While the KFA is reviewing the forfeit, the two teams, which have attracted the attention of soccer fans, will meet again in the FA Cup final on April 4.
Meanwhile, Jeju’s bid to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in 19 years came up short.
The last time Jeju reached the final was in 2004, when they were part of Bucheon SK.
It was Jeju who struck first, opening the scoring with a picture-perfect counter-attack.
In the 43rd minute, Hayes raced down the flank and laid the ball off to Kim Bong-soo in the center near the halfway line.
Kim Bong-soo beat the defense and sent an accurate long pass to the penalty spot, where Seo Jin-soo rattled the Pohang goal with a left-footed shot.
It was winger Kim In-sung’s ‘one shot’ that saved Pohang from the crisis.
In the 13th minute of the second half, Pohang’s Kim Jong-woo sent a sharp right-footed shot into the penalty area that was headed for the corner of the goal, 안전카지노사이트 but goalkeeper Kim Dong-joon made a difficult save with his body.
On the ensuing corner kick, the ball flowed to the corner of the penalty box, where Kim In-sung connected with a picturesque non-stop right-footed shot that beat Kim Dong-jun and shook the Pohang net.
The goal was especially meaningful for Kim In-sung, who was at the center of the “ineligible player” controversy that erupted during a regular-season match against Jeonbuk on March 28.
The match went into extra time as neither team was able to score any additional goals, and both teams remained silent in extra time, eventually leading to a penalty shootout.
In the penalty shootout, goalkeeper Hwang In-jae became Pohang’s hero.
Hwang In-jae saved a shot from Jeju’s No. 4 kicker Kim Oh-kyu to send his team to the final.
For Jeju, it was not only Kim Oh-kyu who missed, but also Lim Chae-min, the No. 2 kicker, whose shot went over the crossbar.
Jeonbuk, who reached the final, will attempt to win their second consecutive FA Cup title. The record is held by Jeonbuk and Suwon Samsung with five titles.
Jeonbuk took the lead in the 22nd minute when Moon Sun-min received a pass from Lee Soo-bin and fired a right-footed shot from the front of the penalty area.
Incheon responded in the 38th minute when Jerso drove down the left flank and scored with his left foot to make it 1-1.
The final goal was scored by Jeonbuk’s Baek Seung-ho in the 16th minute of the second half.
Park Jae-yong flicked the ball sideways to Baek Seung-ho, who connected with a right-footed shot to make it 2-1.
Jeonbuk drove a wedge with a penalty kick goal in stoppage time.
Lee Dong-joon tripped over Incheon Mboku’s foot in the process of breaking through and was awarded a penalty kick, which Park Jae-yong calmly converted. 카지노사이트