Pro Football’s Impending 6-team Playoffs Sets Off War of Managers

“Unlike in the regular season, we will win in the playoffs.” (Coach Park Hang-seo, Gyeongnam F.C.)

“It’s not about how much you can score but instead playing a game that can get you a ‘W’.” (Coach Sergio Parias, Pohang Steelers)

The professional football league is set to begin its 6-team playoffs at Changwon Stadium with Gyeongnam F.C. squaring off against Pohang Steelers in a 7:00 p.m. kick-off on October 20. On the following day, at Munsu World Cup Stadium in Ulsan, a 3:00 p.m. match between Ulsan Hyundai and Daejeon Citizens is scheduled. Winners from these single elimination games will face each other in the October 28 playoffs finals.

Having stirred much commotion en route to their fourth place regular-season finish, Gyeongnam is up against the lone chink in their armor in Pohang, as they had failed in two previous meetings in the regular season.

In an earlier press conference held in Shinmun-ro on October 15, Gyeongnam’s Park Hang-seo admittedly spoke of his team’s strategic short-comings yet showed little doubts about the will of his players to win. He also added, “I have worked for Pohang so I know their players quite well; I anticipate nothing short of putting on our best, in light of the game’s single-elimination nature.”

Pohang, on the other hand, is under a spotlight for its lowest number of goals among the playoffs qualifiers, with a measly 27 netted in 26 games played. Parias, its manager, explained, “Despite the low scoring, we managed to pull in quite a few victories. We will adjust ourselves towards a more offense-oriented mindset for the playoffs. Since we endured much hardship to get to this point, it’s time to reward my players with the credit due to their hard work.”

As for the other match-up, Ulsan’s coach Kim Jeong-nam and Daejeon’s coach Kim Ho share a past as teammates and fellow defensive star players on the national team and are expectedly in high praise of one another’s managing prowess.

They explained, “We had an indescribably strong chemistry as teammates.” Adding to the friendly gestures heavy in flow, Kim Jeong-nam joked on the side, “If I knew who will win this game, or how, I would go running to scratch in the soccer lottery.” But in keeping in line with the importance of their teams’ imminent collision, he further explained, “I plan on making a thorough data analysis for the previous matches.”

Coach Kim Ho said of his Daejeon squad, “If Goh Jong-su and the foreign players connect well, I expect to see good results. All in all, I hope to present the fans a lot of excitement.”

Coach Parias ended on a criticism about the currently ongoing competition: “This year’s newly implemented 6-team playoffs system is not an improvement from the 4-team format used last season. The regular season winner sits on a debilitating inactivity while awaiting the finish of the 6-team playoffs, playoffs semis, and the actual playoffs.”

bluesky@donga.com