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Pitch imperfect: FC Seoul's Lingard almost comes a cropper on ailing field

Published: 04 Mar. 2025, 14:42 Updated: 04 Mar. 2025, 17:54

PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

FC Seoul captain Jesse Lingard, right, reacts during a K League 1 match against Gimcheon Sangmu at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on March 3. [YONHAP]

FC Seoul captain Jesse Lingard nearly sustained an injury during a K League 1 match against Gimcheon Sangmu on Monday not because of a collision with another player, but the Seoul World Cup Stadium pitch condition was so poor to the extent that it endangered players.

Lingard tripped over a part of the pitch that had been peeled off in the 28th minute and received treatment before returning to the pitch.

The poor pitch condition seemingly induced FC Seoul and Gimcheon Sangmu players to slip or make unsteady moves in moments where they had to be decisive. The game ended goalless after multiple missed chances.

“The weather is cold, but if the pitch gets hard and peels off, I think I’ll be concerned about getting injured,” FC Seoul forward Moon Seon-min said after the match.

FC Seoul manager Kim Gi-dong was also worried about the poor pitch conditions.

“Since we play games before the grass has taken root, the damage to the pitch is happening more quickly. Lingard also had a scary moment today where he twisted his ankle,” Kim said.

FC Seoul captain Jesse Lingard, center, dribbles during a K League 1 match against Gimcheon Sangmu at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on March 3. [YONHAP]

This is not the first time the Seoul World Cup Stadium pitch has given players reason for concern. The pitch condition was also so poor last year that Korean national team players complained about it after a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Palestine in September.

The Korea Football Association (KFA) even ended up relocating the following 2026 World Cup qualifier between Korea and Iraq in October from Seoul to Yongin Mireu Stadium in Yongin, Gyeonggi.

The Seoul World Cup Stadium’s pitch problem dates back to August 2023 when the World Scout Jamboree’s K-pop show damaged the field. The event entailed installing a stage and seats for the 40,000 in attendance on the pitch, which reportedly impaired 18 percent of the field.

Scouts from around the world fill the Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul, where the ″K-pop Super Live″ concert was held on Aug. 11, 2023. [NEWS1]

Frequent use of the stadium for concerts compounds pitch problems. The stadium staged concerts by various singers — such as IU and Lim Young-woong — last year all during the ongoing 2024 K League season, while the stadium only spent 250 million won ($171,000) out of 8.2 billion won of profit on field maintenance between January and August of 2024.

The Seoul World Cup Stadium, however, is just one of many stadiums with pitch problems in Korea.

Ulsan HD’s home venue Munsu Football Stadium had a severely damaged pitch last year to the extent that potholes were visible on camera during an AFC Champions League Elite game against Kawasaki Frontale in September.

The AFC later forced Ulsan to relocate their ACLE match against Vissel Kobe on Oct. 23 to a different playing field.

Fellow K League 1 team Gwangju FC had the same problem during their ACLE league stage run the same time last year, as the Gwangju World Cup Stadium pitch condition during an ACLE fixture against Yokohama F. Marinos was reportedly unsuitable due to lack of use over an extended period.

Gwanju inevitably chose to host their next ACLE game against Johor Darul Ta’zim in October at Yongin Mireu Stadium, despite being about 268 kilometers (166 miles) away from Gwangju, as other stadiums in the city and nearby areas failed to meet AFC standards or had poor pitch conditions.

Both Ulsan and Gwangju, however, were able to host the following ACLE league stage games at home after their venues’ pitch conditions improved.

But pitch problems have persisted elsewhere in the K League this year, as the AFC found Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors’ home venue Jeonju World Cup Stadum in Jeonju, North Jeolla unsuitable for their ACL Two match against Sydney FC on Thursday and ordered the K League team to relocate the fixture.

It appears that Jeonbuk’s pitch problem could cause K League players discomfort in the ongoing 2025 season, as seen at Seoul World Cup Stadium, which could impact players’ overall performance.

As for Seoul World Cup Stadium, an FC Seoul official told the Korea JoongAng Daily on Tuesday that the club plans to restore the pitch starting next week ahead of FC Seoul’s next home game against Daegu FC on March 29.

The stadium’s poor pitch condition could force the KFA to relocate international matches from the Korean national team’s usual home ground to somewhere else, although it will not have to worry about it for the upcoming March international break during which Korea plays two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Oman and Jordan in Goyang and Suwon, Gyeonggi.

Restoring the Seoul World Cup Stadium pitch during the next international break will benefit both players and KFA, as the stadium — with the highest spectator capacity in the country at 66,704 seats — can generate significant revenue from international games.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]