Seoul — In an exciting turn of events in the FA Cup football tournament, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, the defending champions, have successfully made it to their second consecutive final, setting up a highly anticipated showdown against fellow K League 1 club, Pohang Steelers, slated for the upcoming weekend.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Jeonbuk managed to secure their place in the final by defeating Incheon United with a score of 3-1 during the semifinals. This crucial match took place at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, located approximately 200 kilometers to the south of Seoul.
On the other side of the bracket, Pohang Steelers earned their spot in the finals by overcoming Jeju United in a tense penalty shootout, ending with a score of 4-3. This match unfolded at the Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo, situated on the southern Jeju Island.
The upcoming final, a one-and-done match, is scheduled to kick off at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday at the Steelers' home turf, Pohang Steel Yard, located in the southeastern city of Pohang. It is worth noting that Jeonbuk is currently tied with Suwon Samsung Bluewings, both holding the record for the most FA Cup titles at four each.
The match saw Moon Seon-min scoring the opening goal for Jeonbuk at the 22-minute mark, successfully converting a pass from Lee Soo-bin. However, Incheon managed to level the score 16 minutes later, thanks to a left-footed shot from Gerso Fernandes. The deadlock was broken just past the hour mark when Paik Seung-ho scored, assisted by Park Jae-yong. Park then sealed the victory for Jeonbuk with an added-time penalty, awarded after Lee Dong-jun was fouled by Paul-Jose M'Poku inside the penalty area.
In Seogwipo, the match between Pohang and Jeju ended in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time, necessitating a penalty shootout to determine the winner. Seo Jin-su scored for Jeju just before halftime, while Kim In-sung equalized for Pohang at the 60-minute mark. Pohang's goalkeeper, Hwang In-jae, proved to be the hero in the shootout, saving a crucial penalty from Jeju's fourth kicker, Kim Oh-kyu, ensuring Pohang's advancement to the final. This followed a missed penalty from Jeju's second kicker, Lim Chai-min, and a saved shot from Pohang's Zeca by Jeju's goalkeeper, Kim Dong-jun.
These semifinal matches were rescheduled from their original August dates, following a scheduling conflict with the World Scout Jamboree and concerns related to Typhoon Khanun.