Kim Dong-heon (Incheon United) has been asked by head coach Cho Sung-hwan to postpone his enlistment.
Incheon won their 2023-24 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) Group G match against Yokohama 2-1 in the fifth leg at the Incheon Football Stadium on Monday.
It was a crucial win for Incheon. Incheon finished second in the group with 12 points (4W-1D), behind first-place Shandong Taishan. Incheon is tied with Yokohama on three wins and two losses (9 points), but has the winner’s-take-all advantage with two head-to-head wins, including a 4-2 win in Game 1.
With most of their mainstays sidelined by injury, Incheon were forced to rely on younger players, but they took the early lead. In the 11th minute, Hong Si-Hoo scored with a right-footed shot from a loose ball inside the penalty box.레모나토토 주소
From then on, it was all about goalkeeper Kim Dong-heon. As Incheon stabilized their defense to give Yokohama the initiative, Kim’s saves shone through. In the 33rd minute, Kim made an incredible reflex save on Eubert’s surprise uncontested mid-range shot, and two minutes later, he saved a one-on-one chance from Takuya to preserve Incheon’s lead.
Kim Dong-heon saved the day Incheon extended their lead through Hernandez in the 21st minute of the second half. Despite the late goal, Kim Dong-heon’s contribution to the victory was undoubtedly the most important.
Speaking to the media after the game, Kim said, “The veterans and younger players have been playing together since the last game against Ulsan, and they worked well together. I think we won because they worked just as hard today as they did then,” he said, adding, “As a goalkeeper, it’s my job to stop them.”
Yokohama head coach Cabin Musket praised the team after the game, saying, “We could have scored two or three goals in the first half, but their goalkeeper was too good.” Kim Dong-heon responded, “The team atmosphere was good and I was relaxed, so I think the result was good. The younger players also showed their bright side, which influenced me.”
Kim is scheduled to enlist in the army on the fourth of next month and serve in Gimcheon Sangmu. “At the beginning of the season, we didn’t play well because we thought we had to play well because we had recruited well. We even conceded five goals against Gwangju and lost. However, when I was accepted into the army, I felt a little more relaxed and my performance improved,” he said.
Due to his enlistment date, Kim was initially unable to play in the group stage six match against Kaya on the 13th of next month. However, considering the schedule of the K League promotion playoffs, the Armed Forces Administration allowed the player to postpone the game upon request. “I asked Kim Dong-heon to delay his enlistment so that he could play against Kaya,” said coach Cho Sung-hwan.
Cho Sung-hwan/Korea Professional Football Association
“I haven’t talked to the coach yet (laughs). I think he told me what he wanted. I don’t know if he’s lying, but I asked him if he saw the article about the possible postponement, and he said yes. Then he said, ‘If possible, we should play against Kaya,’ so I asked for a separate meeting (laughs).” He explained the postponement situation.
“If I do play, I’ll go out with the same mindset I have now,” said Kim Dong-heon. It’s the last game of the season, so I’ll be more focused. I’m grateful for the coach’s faith in me, and I want to make him happy with the result.”