Kim Seung-dae played full time in Pohang’s 4-2 win over Jeonbuk Hyundai in the Hana OneQ Korea Football Association (FA) Cup final at the Pohang Steel Yard on Thursday. Pohang is back on top after a 10-year hiatus following back-to-back FA Cup losses in 2012 and 2013.
It wasn’t an easy match. Pohang twice gave up the lead to Jeonbuk before rallying with three late goals to pull off the upset. Kim Seung-dae played a big role in the win, not only in the attack but also in the defense. After the game, Kim said, “I was disappointed with the players because the game didn’t go as well as I thought it would, and I thought it would be difficult, but I was encouraged by the way we responded immediately after conceding. I could see that Jeonbuk was getting tired,” he said, “I told the players before the game that I didn’t want to go into overtime. I told the players before the game that I didn’t want to go to extra time, but they said we would die, so I was grateful that they kept their promise to finish the game in 90 minutes.”레모나토토 주소
What’s more, in 2013, Kim was just a rookie in his first year with the team. Ten years later, he was wearing the captain’s armband and lifting the trophy. “I was worried at the beginning of the season,” Kim recalls, “I wasn’t very confident, and the captain was hesitant. But the coach said he didn’t know what he was feeling, but he was confident. I think it can’t hurt to listen to the coach,” he said, adding, “I’m more happy to win this championship than in 2013. I thought they would give me MVP because I’m the captain, but they didn’t. I want to say ‘king’ to (Kim) Jong-woo. He did his part at a crucial moment. He must have had a lot of trouble, but I’m glad he got it,” he said humbly.
This year also marks the 50th anniversary of Pohang’s founding. Coach Kim Ki-dong and his players have set their sights on winning the title. “We wanted to win the title on the 50th anniversary,” Kim says, “so after (Ulsan’s) K League title was confirmed, I was the first to say to the players. “I told them, ‘Wake up and think about what you need to think about now. “From the quarterfinals against Jeju, I told them it was time for someone to shine and show up, and they came out of hiding,” he emphasized.
“As a captain, I only talked to the younger players and didn’t give them anything,” said Kim Seung-dae, who reflected, “I was busy playing and taking care of the middle-aged players. The younger players are the same age as me, so there were some things I didn’t do enough. I don’t know about the players, but if they took my words seriously, I think it would still be 90 points.” After evaluating himself, he said, “Pohang always starts below expectations, but they overcome it. They are a perverted team. The coach always says he’s a coach who’s been through it all. I’ve been through a lot of good and bad things, but Pohang has its own strength. I told the players, ‘We are always the best in the K League. The difference is what you show on the field, and Pohang definitely has a lot of players who are good at soccer and have good ideas.”