“I’m canceling my evening flight.” “I turned around on the way to the beach.”
When Pohang fans heard that the Pohang Steelers would “open” team training at Seogwipo Civic Soccer Field on the afternoon of the 10th, they rushed to the training ground with excitement.
They had traveled to Jeju through Typhoon Kanun to witness the 2023 Hana OneQ FA Cup semifinal between Jeju and Pohang, which was scheduled to take place at Jeju World Cup Stadium on September 9.
However, a letter from Jeju Island requesting the match to be canceled (postponed) was received just an hour and a half before kickoff.
We watched the team train for an hour on the field and took a group photo with the players afterward, but it wasn’t enough to ease our disappointment.
Pohang stepped up to the plate. Pohang, which is scheduled to depart on the 11th, decided to invite fans to a training session on the afternoon of the 10th. Pohang head coach Kim Ki-dong gave the ‘OK’ sign for the open training.
Fans rushed to the Seogwipo Civic Soccer Field after receiving the announcement. Some fans even canceled their plane tickets that evening.
Dozens of fans had a unique opportunity to see their favorite coach Kim Ki-dong and the Pohang players in front of them.
The sudden postponement was unfortunate for the team as well. With the cancellation of the Jeju game, the team would be in Jeju for five days without a game. “I was angry at first, but what difference does it make if I’m angry, I have to accept it, and I’ll think about how to play Gwangju from now on,” Kim said on the 9th.