Excited and dug grass, scared to run, not taste like pan balls... "Disgrace". K-League
Excited and dug grass, scared to run, not taste like pan balls... "Disgrace". K-League
Blog Article
In the third round of K League 1 2025 professional football held at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 3rd, FC Seoul captain Jesse Lingard, who was facing Gimcheon Sangmu, collapsed by holding his ankle. It was not that he fought or collided with Kim Cheon for the ball, but rather that he sprained his ankle on the deep-cut grass. Players and referees gathered around Lingard hard pressed the grass. Lingard was also caught on the broadcast screen kicking the grass and getting angry.
K-League coaches and players are on the verge of explosion due to grass. This is due to the slippery grass due to the frozen grass due to the belated cold weather, and the uneven grass is dug deep in various places, which increases the risk of injury and makes it difficult to pass properly. In the game on the same day, Gimcheon striker Lee Dong-kyung slipped on the grass trying to pass at a critical opportunity, or Seoul striker Moon Seon-min missed a shot as the ball floated on the grass right before shooting.
Kim Ki-dong, the head coach of Seoul, said, "The grass is dug up faster because we are running without roots." Chung Jung-yong, the head coach of Gimcheon, also complained, "Mistakes are bound to occur on grass like this."
Each club is put on alert to manage their injuries. Ahn Jae-joon of the Pohang Steelers and Jeju SK Dongjin Park injured their hamstrings in the third and 37th minutes, respectively, in the first round. In the second round, Lee Soon-min of the Daejeon Hana Citizen suffered a long-term injury due to a broken collarbone, and Jeon Jin-woo of the Jeonbuk Hyundai FC was replaced by an elbow injury. The Korea Professional Footballers Association issued a statement on the day, saying, "Players' safety is threatened, and it is difficult for them to display their best performance," urging the team to come up with alternative measures.
The K-League turf issue is also disgraced internationally. Jeonbuk will have to play the first round of the quarterfinals of the Asian Champions League 2, which it will face off against Sydney FC (Australia), at Mir Stadium in Yongin, rather than at Jeonju World Cup Stadium. The Korea Football Association has decided to play the seventh and eighth rounds of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup, which is scheduled in March, at Goyang Stadium and Suwon World Cup Stadium in Gyeonggi Province, rather than at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
The grass issue was not discussed at all. Last year, the K-League suffered from grass problems, and this year's opening game also raised concerns. Lawns were not easily managed in the first place due to scorching summer heat and dry winter cold, and this year, the K-League was opened the earliest in history, worsening the problem. For this reason, critics say that a standing consultative body is needed to encompass the Korea Professional Football Association, the Korea Football Association, and the local government facility management corporation that manages stadiums. 카지노사이트
"In the match between Seoul and Gimcheon, the home team Seoul had one shot in the first half and one shot in the second half. Gimcheon did not have an effective shot itself," a soccer official said. "What is more painful and frustrating than the players is 24,889 soccer fans who visited the stadium in cold weather." On the website of the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation, "Citizen's Sound," which manages the Seoul World Cup Stadium, more than 170 opinions pointed out the grass problem were posted over the two days.