SEOUL, Defending champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors reached their second consecutive final of the FA Cup football tournament Wednesday, with a date against fellow K League 1 club Pohang Steelers coming up on the weekend.
Jeonbuk defeated their K League 1 rivals Incheon United 3-1 in the semifinals of the largest national football competition at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, some 200 kilometers south of Seoul.
In the other semifinals match, Pohang knocked off Jeju United 4-3 in the penalty shootout at Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo on the southern Jeju Island.
The one-and-done final is 2:15 p.m. Saturday at Steelers' home, Pohang Steel Yard in the southeastern city of Pohang. Jeonbuk are tied with Suwon Samsung Bluewings for the most FA Cup titles with four.
Moon Seon-min put Jeonbuk on the board on 22 minutes, converting a feed from Lee Soo-bin. Incheon pulled even 16 minutes later thanks to Gerso Fernandes' left-footed shot.
Paik Seung-ho broke the deadlock just past the hour mark, when he was set up by Park Jae-yong.
Park rounded out the scoring for Jeonbuk with an added-time penalty, awarded after Lee Dong-jun was tripped up by Paul-Jose M'Poku inside the area.
Choi Young-jun of Jeju United (L) tackles Zeca of Pohang Steelers during the clubs' semifinals match at the FA Cup football tournament at Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, on Nov. 1, 2023.
In Seogiwpo, Pohang and Jeju were all knotted at 1-1 through 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time. Seo Jin-su opened the scoring for Jeju just before halftime, with Pohang's Kim In-sung getting the equalizer on 60 minutes.
In the shootout, Pohang goalkeeper Hwang In-jae came up big, denying Jeju's fourth kicker, Kim Oh-kyu, to send Pohang to the final. Jeju's second kicker, Lim Chai-min, fired his shot over the crossbar, right after Pohang's Zeca was turned aside by Kim Dong-jun.
These semifinals matches had been postponed from August, due to a scheduling fiasco surrounding the World Scout Jamboree and the threat of Typhoon Khanun.
Source: Yonhap News Agency