After cruising through three competitions this season, Incheon United has hit a rough patch, losing three key players to injury, raising red flags for the rest of the season.
“Delbridge (right quadriceps tendon) and Shin Shin-ho (right ankle) have been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to injuries,” Incheon announced via the club’s official channel on March 23. Another key player, Lee Myung-joo, was injured against the Pohang Steelers on March 20 and was diagnosed with a partially torn medial ligament in his left knee. While he won’t miss the rest of the season, he will be rehabbing for the time being.
It’s bad news for Incheon, which is juggling three competitions and is currently in fifth place with four games left in the K League One final round. To qualify for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) Elite for the 2024-25 season, they need to finish in the top two in the league. To qualify for the lower tier, ACL2, they’ll need to finish third, and they’ve lost key players as they chase the top teams.
Incheon will also host Jeonbuk Hyundai in the fourth round of the Korean Football Association (FA) Cup next month. It’s been Incheon’s most anticipated competition of the season, but they won’t be able to field a full squad against Jeonbuk, who boast one of the deepest squads in the competition. On top of that, he’s also dealing with a torn ACL.
Out for the season, Delbridge and Shin are the core of the defense and midfield. They started 25 and 17 games in the league this season, respectively, and helped Incheon reach the Final A (six teams in K League 1). Lee Myung-joo also anchored Incheon’s midfield with 25 league appearances. He was also a leader within the squad.토스카지노 도메인
The bad news is that the spine is broken. Incheon has one of the best offenses in the league with Gerso, Mugosa, and Hernandez. Without the key players behind them, there are cracks in their midfield dominance and defensive organization, which could lead to a lack of firepower in the attack.
After cruising through all competitions this season, Incheon will be tested. At a crucial juncture that could make or break the year, coach Cho Sung-hwan’s worries are growing.