Seoul claimed a narrow victory over Incheon United at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, winning 1-0 in the K-League 1's 27th round on Friday. The result extended their lead at the top of the table, while Incheon remained rooted in seventh place.
The match turned on its head almost immediately. Kim Gun-hee was shown a red card in the third minute, leaving the visitors to play with ten men for nearly ninety minutes. To be fair, Incheon had already struggled to find their rhythm, and losing a player so early compounded their difficulties.
Seoul controlled proceedings with comfortable authority. The hosts registered 148 attacks against Incheon's 83, and their shot accuracy hovered around 44 per cent. By then, the visitors had managed zero shots on target across the entire contest, while Seoul's goalkeeper required no intervention at all.
The breakthrough came in the 61st minute through an unfortunate own goal by Lee Ju-Yong. It was a moment that settled the tie, though Seoul had already been the more threatening side. The hosts worked a short corner before the ball found its way into the net, and the crowd erupted accordingly.
Substitutions followed in the usual pattern. Seoul brought on Lee Dong-ryul in the 11th minute, while Incheon made three changes at the break. Stefan Mugoša entered the fray in the 57th minute, and the visitors continued to rotate their options throughout the second half.
Seoul sit top with 42 points from 19 games, having won 13 and lost just three. Incheon, with 27 points, are 15 adrift. The hosts have won five of their last six league matches, while the visitors have taken only one point from their past four outings.