Incheon United head coach Cho Sung-hwan has been utilizing his U-22 resources this season. One such player is forward Park Seung-ho. Park, who made his debut in the Incheon jersey last season, has been starting every game on the right wing.
It’s not because of the U-22 mandatory travel program. He won Cho’s heart with his ability. After scoring one goal in nine games last season, Park has two goals and one assist in six games this season. His pace of offensive point production is faster than last season. He scored his first goal of the season against Ulsan HD on March 17, followed by one assist against Daejeon Hana Citizen and his second goal of the season against Gwangju FC, 홀덤사이트 giving him three consecutive games of offensive points.
That’s not all. In addition to Park Seung-ho, Cho has been boldly using U-22 players in the midfield, including defender Kim Gun-hee and forward Kim Sung-min. In fact, the U-22 mandatory traveling system has been relaxed from last season, but Cho said, “I don’t play them just because of the U-22 rule. They are competitive enough,” Cho said firmly.
Cho’s boldness was evident on the field as well. In the 32nd minute of a 0-1 home loss to Jeju on Nov. 6, he brought on Baek Min-kyu, a 2005-born “rookie” who joined Incheon ahead of this season, as the team was losing. “He is a young and skilled player. I wanted to put him in when we were leading, but I couldn’t. If he gains more experience in the future, he will be helpful to the team,” Cho explained, indicating that he will not hesitate to use ‘young resources’.
It’s a change from last season’s Korea Cup Round of 16 match against Jeonbuk Hyundai, when the team used seven U-22 players, excluding all foreigners, to secure a result against Gwangju in the 35th round. In a professional league where immediate results matter, utilizing proven resources is a top priority, but Cho’s decision to use young players has resonated with the younger players.
“It’s true that he gave us a lot of chances after the Gwangju game, but I think it’s because we prepared well. It must not have been easy for the coach to give us chances, but I think we should repay him with our performance and results.” Choi Woo-jin added, “We’re working hard and getting a lot of opportunities. I think the coach believes in us because we are working hard and producing results,” he smiled.
Incheon‘s future resources are growing up fast. Park Seung-ho and Choi Woo-jin said, “It’s nice to hear, but of course it’s a lot of pressure. Since they have such high expectations, I’m going to work harder. We want to work harder and create the future of Incheon.”