(Xportsnews Incheon, Lee Hyun-seok) “I came here saying, ‘I can play 19 games,’ and now there are already two games left.”
FC Seoul conceded an early goal to Gerso in the 17th round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 ‘Gyeongin Derby’ against Incheon United at the Incheon Football Stadium on Sunday, but Hwang Eui-jo equalized early in the second half to earn a 1-1 draw.
Seoul (8 W, 4 D, 5 L, 28 pts) share a point with Incheon (4 W, 7 D, 6 L, 19 pts) and overtake Jeju (28 pts) on goal difference for third place.
Hwang Eui-jo, who participated in the 안전놀이터 post-match press conference as the man of the match, said, “First of all, it’s positive that we didn’t lose back-to-back games. We need to reflect on ourselves, and we need to reflect on the chances we missed to go up. I hope we can prepare well for the next game and win at home.”
Hwang Ui-jo scored his third goal of the league eight minutes into the second half with Seoul trailing 1-0, finding the corner of the Incheon goal with a sharp mid-range shot from in front of the penalty box.
It was Hwang’s first goal in eight games since he scored against Suwon Samseong in the eighth round.
“It’s true that I was frustrated, but I was more focused on the team winning,” Hwang said of his lack of goals. I think I was satisfied with our performance and the fact that we’re still in the top half of the standings,” he said, adding, “Personally, I’m naturally greedy. I hope I can do better in the next game,” he said, expressing his regret over the lack of goals and his determination for the next game.
In the case of the goal, he emphasized his confidence. “I got in like this today, but I think I need to be more confident and hit it more in the future. As a striker, you have to shoot to score goals, so I’ll try to challenge and shoot a lot.”
After the game, Ahn Ik-soo praised Hwang Ui-jo for his goals and his role as a mentor, to which Hwang Ui-jo replied, “I don’t say much, but I think I tell them to be greedy. I hope that the players will be able to challenge themselves at a higher level by showing their skills with real ambition.” He also expressed his concern for the development of his juniors.
There was also a lot of interest in Hwang’s future plans and how much time he has left in Seoul.
Hwang, who opted to join Seoul on a six-month loan ahead of this winter’s training camp in Japan, returned to the K League after a six-year absence. The former Nottingham Forest (England) player was loaned to Olympiakos (Greece) last summer to try his luck, but he was unable to make an impact for Olympiakos and made the unconventional decision to join Seoul on loan.
“I don’t know, but I’m communicating with my agent right now, and I think I’ll have to talk to him soon after the 30 days are up and decide. I don’t know yet,” he said, revealing that nothing is set in stone.
When asked about the number of games remaining, Hwang answered, “As far as I know, it’s two.” “When I first came here, I said, ‘I’ll play 19 games,’ and now there are already two games left. Personally, I want to win the remaining games, and I will prepare well, but I want to win so that Seoul can stay in a good position,” he said, adding that he will do his best for the rest of the schedule.
Expressing his love for the team and his determination to win, Hwang Ui-jo will give it his all on the final leg of his journey with Seoul, playing against the Pohang Steelers on the 11th and Suwon on the 24th.