Incheon United is competing in three competitions in parallel. The K-League 1 and Asian Champions League (ACL) schedules are being played. They also aim to win the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup. A crisis suddenly arose in a situation where no one could give up. Injuries continued to appear.스포츠토토
On the 23rd, Incheon announced the news of Delbridge and Shin Jin-ho’s season out through social media. Key defender Delbridge injured his right femoral adductor tendon, and veteran midfielder Shin Jin-ho injured his right ankle.
Delbridge is the center of Incheon’s defense. He has excellent defense and air superiority skills. If Delbridge is missing, not only the team’s strength but also the depth of the defense will be thinned. The reason Incheon was able to achieve an upward trend of 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 draw in 5 games despite the hot weather last July was because the players’ physical burden and risk of injury were minimized through appropriate rotation. At that time, Delbridge and Oh Ban-seok played separately.
However, due to Delbridge’s injury, the shoulders of the remaining defenders, including Oh Ban-seok, became heavier.
Ahead of this season, Shin Jin-ho, wearing the Incheon uniform, played 17 league games. There were frequent injuries throughout the season. In the end, the season was out. The value of a veteran in big games such as the final round or FA Cup is imaginary. Even if you didn’t do your part earlier, there was always a chance to make up for it. But injuries held him back.
Another veteran midfielder, Myung-Joo Lee, was also injured. He was injured in the match against Pohang Steelers in the 34th round, and complained of pain even after being substituted and going to the bench. Fortunately, as a result of the examination, he was able to avoid being out of the season. However, he is scheduled to be absent for some time. Incheon explained, “Myung-Joo Lee has been diagnosed with a rupture in the medial ligament of his left knee, so he plans to focus on rehabilitation for a quick return.”
Mpoku, Kim Do-hyuk, etc. have been playing well throughout the season, but with Shin Jin-ho and Lee Myung-joo getting injured, there is more for them to do in the future.
The bigger problem is that Incheon has a tight schedule ahead of it. You have to compete in as many as three competitions. Incheon overcame a slump at the beginning of the season and dramatically made it to Final A. I am determined to continue my upward trend and even win an ACL ticket as I have worked hard to get there. The difference in points from 3rd place Gwangju FC (57 points) to 6th place Daegu FC (49 points) is not large. In a tight ranking table, Incheon is ranked 5th in the league with 12 wins, 13 draws, and 9 losses (49 points).
Incheon also advanced into the ACL for the first time as a club. The atmosphere is also quite good. Won all 2 matches. They won 4-2 away at Yokohama F. Marinos (Japan), and also won 4-0 at home against Kaya FC. In addition, Incheon will advance to the semifinals of the FA Cup and challenge for the top spot.
However, Incheon coach Cho Seong-hwan’s worries also increased due to the number of injuries. The game schedule is also tight. Incheon will face Shandong Taishan (China) in the third match of the ACL group stage on the 25th and then travel to Gwangju three days later. On November 1st, the FA Cup semifinals will be played against Jeonbuk Hyundai. Attention is focused on how Incheon will overcome this crisis.