The First of Many? Reflecting Upon FC Seoul’s Title-Winning Season
Elation, relief, and unbridled joy: these were the emotions on display when the final whistle blew at the Sangum Stadium on Saturday evening. FC Seoul, the self proclaimed ‘best’ club in Asian football, had done it. They had reclaimed their place at the summit of the K-League, clinching their first championship since 2016, by beating Gimcheon Sangmu 1–0.
Under the astute leadership of their Brazilian manager Matheus, FC Seoul have embarked on a remarkable journey of redemption and emerged as the unrivalled champions. In a season filled with twists, turns, and fierce competition, Matheus had not only fulfilled his initial brief of challenging for the title — but surpassed all expectations, resolutely steering the team back to the pinnacle of Korean football.
But how did they do it? Who excelled, and who underperformed? And what can we expect from the team next season, where they will look to go back-to-back in the K-League, whilst looking to make progress in the AFC Champions League? Inside Asian Football will take a deep-dive…
Building from a strong foundation
In the first few weeks of the season, Matheus had to make his first big decision. 28-year-old Choi Cheol Won was brought in from Bucheon FC in K-League 2, with the expectation that he would be the number one goalkeeper. But he had a number of howlers: misplaced passes and mishandled shots, leaving fans and his own players anxious about their stability. Step up, 21-year-old youth graduate Baek Jong Beom.
With unwavering confidence and composure, the young shot-stopper matured before our eyes. His agile reflexes, impeccable positioning, and composure on the ball instilled a renewed sense of belief in the team. He will undoubtedly begin next season as number one, where he can continue his development at the club he joined as a boy.
In front of him, Lee Han Beom, 20, led the defensive line. After a tricky start to the season — as was the case for the entire FC Seoul backline — he grew into an almost-faultless defender.
He was initially joined by 34-year-old Osmar, until he broke his skull in two places; at which point, Kim Ju Sung played a significant part in the latter half of the season. The 21-year-old went under-the-radar, but ended up playing a key role for the side across 21 games. It will be interesting to see who Matheus decides to pair up in central defence next season: does he go back to Osmar, or stick with Ju-Sung Kim?
Getting it right on the flanks
In Matheus’ strategic blueprint, his full-backs played pivotal, yet contrasting roles. On the right, it fell to either Kim Jin Ya, 24 (2G, 3A) or Park Soo Il, 26 (2G, 2A) to push forwards. Both men had their moments. But, Matheus would have hoped for more goal contributions from them, especially when considering the freedom he gave them to get down the pitch and into dangerous areas. They also suffered injuries that affected their fitness and level of performance, in the latter half of the season.
Meanwhile, on the left, 21-year-old Lee Tae Suk played a more restrained role. A direct call-up from FC Seoul U18 in 2021, Suk was the standout performer amongst the full-backs. He provided a solid defensive shield, frustrating opposition attacks and nullifying the threat of speedy wingers — whilst also racking up three assists, owing to his ability to play long balls over the top from deep in his own half.
Suk became one of the first names on Matheus’ team sheet from an early point in the season. However, what remains to be seen is who will be play the more attacking role on the right-hand side. The club have already announced that Park Soo Il will leave at the end of a season, so perhaps Kim Jin Ya will get a chance to show that he is the man. Or, will the club dip into the transfer market?
Room for some improvement in midfield?
“A strong and cohesive midfield is the backbone of any successful team,” Matheus said in one of his earliest press conferences during pre-season. “It sets the rhythm of our play, dictates the tempo, and drives us forward. I place great emphasis on instilling the right blend of qualities in our midfielders — the work rate, aggression, and the ability to produce a killer ball at any given point.” Not much to ask for, right?
This often resulted in either a three-man midfield, comprised of a defensive midfielder; box-to-box progressor, and a playmaker, or a double pivot with a free-to-roam attacking midfielder, dependent on the opposition. Jeong Hyun Cheol, 29, provided stability as the defensive midfielder of choice. While at the age of 34, Go Yo Han, (1G, 4A) performed admirably in the box-to-box role, making 30 more appearances for the club he has served for 19 years. Han struggled for fitness as the season went on, but his commitment and drive to progress the ball up the pitch was often unheralded.
One area where Matheus may feel he could strengthen, ironically perhaps, is that of the playmaker/attacking midfielder. Aleksandar Palocevic, 29 (4G, 7A) and Han Seung Gyu, 26 (2G, 6A) shared the role between them, making some vital contributions. However, the performances of Palocevic felt a bit flat as the season progressed, lacking the influence and decisiveness that a playmaker should possess. Out of the two, you would think that Gyu is more likely to claim that role next season, but a fresh face could be sought after — especially when you consider the man in the dugout.
More of the same from the most effective attack in Asia
56 goals, 26 assists, three men: Kang Seong Jin, 19 (16G, 10A); Na Sang Ho, 26 (10G, 6A) and Stanislav Iljutcenko, 32 (30G, 10A). The importance of these three men to FC Seoul’s successes cannot be overstated. Individually gifted, yet collectively devastating, this trio have proven themselves to be the best in both Korea and the wider Asian continent. (In fact, a number of different metrics put them in the top five for attacking trios anywhere in the world.) Any ambitions that FC Seoul have of reclaiming the K-League and competing for the AFC Champions League will be heavily dictated by the performances of these attackers.
Although, a spanner may be thrown in the works if the club receive any bids from Europe for Kang Seong Jin. There will have to be some contingency planning in place, because as good as Ho and Iljutcenko were, the market is hot for young Asian talent and you would imagine there will have been a lot of eyes on Kang’s performances this year.
Transfer business — what would we expect to happen?
The club have already confirmed that eight players will be released from their contracts at the end of the year. As we mentioned earlier, Park Soo Il is the most prominent among them. Former Celtic and Swansea midfielder Ki Sung Yueng, 33 (1G, 2A in 12 games) is also worth a mention, as he has announced his immediate retirement from the game. From a strategic perspective, the release of Hosam Aiesh, 27 and Willyan, 28, will free up two foreign player slots. (Korean teams can register five foreign players, plus an additional player from an AFC country — but can only play three of the foreigners plus the AFC player on the field at any given time.)
We anticipate that this transfer window will be an opportunity for FC Seoul to add more strength in depth, especially as they make their return to the AFC Champions League. They will also want to think about a longer-term replacement for Go Yo Han — as well as what might happen if opportunity/money comes knocking for any of their youngest prospects: Kang Seong Jin, Lee Han Beom or Lee Tae Suk.
It could get interesting…
#FIFA23 #RTG