Cho Sung-hwan and Oh Ban-seok, the men who returned to Incheon
Cho Sung-hwan and Oh Ban-seok, the men who returned to Incheon
Blog Article
Coach Cho Sung-hwan returned to the "Arena of Sung" earlier than expected, and Oh Ban-seok returned to the "Arena of Sung" by leading the relationship.
Incheon United, which played the fifth round of Hana Bank's K League 2 2025 at Incheon Football Stadium on the 29th, drew 1-1 with Busan I'Park. Busan led with Xavier's fantastic mid-range shot in the 21st minute of the first half, but Xavier was sent off for unnecessary fouls in the 27th minute of the second half, and Incheon, which did not miss the opportunity, drew the draw with Mugosa's penalty score.
The upcoming match drew much attention as Cho and Incheon faced off each other. Cho led Incheon until July last year. He was the longest-serving leader in Incheon's history after leading the team for four years from August 2020, and enjoyed golden years by advancing to the Asian Football Confederation Champions League and advancing to the top split for two consecutive years. However, he had no choice but to leave Incheon due to poor performance last season. After saying goodbye to Cho, Incheon sought to change the mood, but ended up experiencing its first K League 2 relegation.
It was a reunion that would have had mixed feelings for Cho. Cho left Incheon and soon became assigned to K League 2 Busan. At that time, Busan had to be promoted or Incheon had to be demoted to meet Incheon again in the league. In other words, coach Cho faced the worst situation of facing Incheon.
Perhaps this is why Cho did not show his emotions as much as possible before and after the game. When I met with reporters before the game, he said, "It was unexpected last year," adding, "After the great march was made, I felt like I had a long way to go, but today I feel different and strange to be here. Still, I am the coach of Busan who will take on Incheon, and I need to show good performance and results to away fans. I will give up my personal feelings," expressing his determination to focus on the game.
At the post-match press conference, he said, "I am also responsible for the relegation that Incheon will play in K League 2 regardless of the game. I said hello to Incheon fans, but I feel sorry and I have mixed feelings." Rather, he apologized for not giving Incheon its best results until the end.
Not only Cho but also other Busan players from Incheon visited Soongui Arena for the first time in a long time on the day. Lee Dong-soo, who joined Incheon in 2022 and played for one and a half seasons, participated full-time and successfully blocked Incheon's attack by moving between center back and defensive midfielder. Kwon Won-jin, who was in Incheon last year and last year, joined the second-tier playing coach and watched the game from the bench.
Dramatically, Oh Ban-seok who participated in this game cannot be left out. Oh Ban-seok joined Incheon for the first time in the second half of the 2020 season and helped the team stay miraculously, and for the next four years, he defended Incheon and shared the joy and sadness of the team. After becoming a free agent at the end of last season, he did not have a team until recently, but he joined Busan on the 21st after being called by coach Cho. He started on the bench that day, and he was replaced in the 32nd minute of the second half as the defense was needed due to the exit of midfielder Xavier.
After the game, the men returned to Incheon and exchanged pleasantries with the Incheon people. After the game ended, Oh Bum-suk, Lee Dong-soo, and Kwon Won-jin greeted each other at the Incheon cheering section with the Busan players. The scene where the Incheon fans called Kwon who was still on the bench to come quickly showed that the Incheon players formed a considerable bond with each other. Cho thanked the Busan fans who came all the way to the Incheon cheering section and bowed down to the 90-degree angle. The fans honored Cho, who shared the joy and sadness of the team with generous applause.
The same was true outside the stadium. After the press conference, Cho greeted the staff of the public relations team gently. Before leaving the locker room, he visited the Incheon locker room separately, and even when he was on his way to take the bus to Busan, he shook hands with employees in Incheon smiling.
Players from Incheon also appeared busy meeting with Incheon players and officials before leaving the locker room. Among them, Oh, who had been in Incheon for the longest time, lightly touched the back of Choi Seung-gu's head during an interview at the Mix Zone before heading to the Incheon locker room. Oh was the latest player to leave the locker room between the two teams. 안전놀이터
Before leaving Incheon, Oh told reporters, "I had a subtle emotion before the game. I was busy immersed in the game. I feel good because I can play the game after a long time with good emotions," adding, "We encountered each other in a situation that I had never imagined." It was a disappointing result for both teams, but they played well. I am always grateful to Incheon fans. "It is a great experience to play in front of those who cheered for me and those who will cheer for me in the future," he said.