Pohang Steelers, led by head coach Kim Ki-dong, lost 2-3 against Ulsan Hyundai in the 36th round of the "Hana One Q K League 1 2023" at Ulsan Munsu Stadium on the 12th. Pohang (60 points) continued to win six league games (4 draws and 2 losses), failing to widen the gap with third-place Gwangju FC (58 points).
Pohang scored the first goal, but gave up three goals in the second half to flow the game. Lee Ho-jae scored a penalty kick in the 32nd minute of the second half, chasing by one goal, but the equalizer and the reversal did not come out in the end.
After the game, manager Kim said, "As a result, I am not satisfied. I want to say sorry to the fans. We had injuries every time, so seven people were missing. Kim Jong-woo was hurt at the end. Still, the positive thing was that five people born in 2002-2004 played. He showed satisfactory performance. He also did well against national-level Ulsan players. It raised expectations for next year. I will try to bring about the successful conclusion.
On the same day, Kang Hyun-je scored his debut goal in his debut match. Coach Kim said, "I scored and showed a lot of activity. When the ball came to him, he connected well and slipped into the space well. I was going to leave it in the stadium until the end. I didn't lose it because I couldn't. "I played a satisfactory game," he repeatedly expressed satisfaction.
Pohang won the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup and won a ticket to next year's Asian Champions League (ACL). Even in the league, there is not much income that can be earned in the remaining two games. Coach Kim said, "There are actually a lot of injuries. The young players are playing. I'm going to talk to the players and give the main players a break. Nevertheless, it is difficult to play with only young players. I think we need to match the harmony well," he said.