Kim Yoo-sung had a dream debut.
Incheon United defeated Gyeongnam FC 3-0 in the fourth round (round of 16) of the 2023 Hana OneQ FA Cup at the Incheon Football Stadium at 7 p.m. on Thursday. With the win, Incheon advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in seven years since 2016. The quarterfinals will be played on June 28 at the Incheon Football Stadium against Suwon Samsung.
It was a cool win. Incheon scored three goals in the first half to take a quick lead. In the 24th minute, Kim Do-hyuk took a pass from Kim Bo-seob and floated the ball into the box. Mpoku rushed in and rattled the net with a simple shot.
In the 39th minute, Kim Bo-seop opened up the left flank and Min Kyung-hyun sent in a sharp ground ball cross. Hong Si-hoo rushed forward and sensitively met it with her foot to score. Finally, in the 41st minute, Kim Bo-seop drove into the box and was brought down by Jung Dong-yoon in the final third. Jung’s bold left-footed shot in front of the penalty box hit the keeper’s hand and was sucked in.
With a goal in hand, coach Cho Sung-hwan decided to give Kim Yoo-sung, who was on the substitutes’ bench, a chance. The Incheon home crowd erupted when Kim Yoo-sung was instructed to come on and headed to the touchline. Cheers erupted everywhere.
81 minutes, 08 seconds. Kim Yoo-sung took the field in place of Kim Dong-heon, and the Incheon supporters chanted “Kim Yoo-sung” as the stadium echoed. It was a decibel assault on the eardrums.
Kim Yoo-sung showed his worth in a short amount of time. In the 38th minute of the second half, Gyeongnam’s Cho Sang-joon fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty box. The ball was exquisitely directed to the top of the goal, where Kim Yoo-sung threw himself to make the save. It was a “super save,” and the Incheon fans were in awe. Afterward, he continued to make safe saves on aerial balls to preserve the clean sheet.
After the game, we caught up with Kim in the mix zone. “I was ready, but it was an unannounced appearance. My brothers opened up the score in the first half, so the coach gave me a chance. I’m grateful for that.”
Kim had to wait for a while on the touchline. As the play continued without the ball going out, time was wasted. “I wanted the ball to go out quickly. I wanted to play quickly. I was preparing with the mindset of ‘let’s go in and try to make the most of the short time left.
After coming on, he made a huge save. “When I stopped the ball on the field, I thought, ‘This is definitely a fun game to play,'” he explained.
The Incheon fans greeted Kim with a huge cheer. Kim said, “I only saw my brothers outside, but I’m grateful for what the fans did for me. My whole body was thrilled. It made me more tense,” he said, expressing his gratitude. 먹튀검증
Kim Yoo-sung had waited four years to play on this day. It was her first professional match since joining Incheon in 2020. When asked how she persevered, she said, “One of the biggest motivators was the care of coach Kim Yi-seop. I’m not a good personality, but he kept me under control, and my brothers gave me a lot of advice and cared for me, so I was able to hold on, and I felt comfortable because (the goalkeepers) were all seniors from Daejeon Go Youth.”
Incheon is a goalkeeper’s paradise. The Incheon Youth Daegeon goalkeepers have been entrusted with the job, and the lineage continues with Lee Tae-hee, Kim Dong-heon, Min Sung-joon, and Kim Yoo-sung. Kim Yoo-sung said, “I have pride in Daejeon Go and pride in Incheon. I hope that many good goalkeepers will continue to come from Daegun Go.”
Kim’s father was at the game, and he made a great showing. “My dad came to the game. I know my dad by eye contact. I gave him a thumbs up and that was it,” he said.
“I haven’t played for four years, so thank you for your patience. I will use this game as a springboard to become a better player, and I will try to become a solid goalkeeper like my older brothers. Thank you,” and thanked the Incheon fans.