It was a victory that left a big scar.

Pohang came from behind to win their ACL Group J Round 4 home match against Urawa Reds (Japan) 2-1 in stoppage time after the teams were tied 1-1 at Pohang Steel Yard on Aug. 8.

With its fourth consecutive win in the group stage, Pohang has four points (12), securing at least second place in the group regardless of the outcome of its remaining two matches and effectively clinching an early berth in the round of 16.

Pohang has had a killer schedule lately. They traveled to Jeju in the FA Cup quarterfinals on the 1st, followed by the FA Cup final on the 4th, and then hosted Urawa on the 5th. Luckily, the FA Cup win allowed them to rotate half the team on the day, but the starters were extremely tired.

Injuries come when muscles are tired. Pohang lost two players on this day. ‘Little Giant’ Ko Young-joon and ‘Captain’ Kim Seung-dae. Ko was replaced by Kim In-sung in the 27th minute of the second half after suffering a sprained ankle from a deep tackle by Takahiro Akimoto. Kim Seung-dae was injured just before the end of the game as he rushed to the right side of the penalty box and sent in a cross.

However, the duo played a crucial role in changing the game and deciding the outcome. Ko Young-joon brought down Takahiro in the box. After a VAR (video assistant referee) on-field review, Iranian referee Alireza Faghani canceled Takahiro’s warning and showed him a red card for a direct dismissal. Outnumbered, Urawa tried to pull a goal back, only to be punished. In second-half stoppage time, Kim Seung-dae, despite being injured, sent a cross into the box, and when the opposing goalkeeper failed to clear it, the onrushing Kim In-sung slid it in to rattle the net.

After the game, Pohang coach Kim Ki-dong’s expression was a mixture of joy and worry. “It wasn’t a situation where we could go out at our best, and I was worried about ‘what if something goes wrong,’ but it was a chance. 무지개토토 주소 The young players did better than I expected. They did their best until the end, and we were able to get the win. We’re the only K League team to win this round, and we’re undefeated in the group. I am proud of Pohang because they are doing well.” However, he added, “Go Young-jun and Kim Seung-dae are injured. We are worried about the ‘East Coast Derby’ against Ulsan this weekend.”

As for the extent of their injuries, he said, “Young-jun’s ankle is swollen. He said it’s not good for icing. Seung-dae can’t walk. He said that the moment he was injured, there was a popping sound. We’ll have to do a full diagnosis tomorrow, but we’re worried,” he explained.

When asked about the performance of 2002-born Yoon Jae-woon, he said, “Kim Jun-ho, Hong Yoon-sang, and Go Young-joon have played a lot of matches, so I wasn’t worried. Jae-woon is coming back from a long-term injury, so I had to think a lot when I picked him. But he’s a strong player, and his ability to pressurize in tight spaces was good. I’m satisfied with the performance of a young player in a big tournament.”