2020 Season Preview: Incheon United

Incheon United head into the 2020 K League 1 season hoping to avoid yet another relegation dogfight. With new manager Lim Wan-Sup at the helm and the core of last seasons squad it could be an interesting year over at the Sungui Arena.

Last Season

7 W - 13 D - 18 L; 10th

What Happened?

Incheon United had a slow start to the 2019 season picking up just a single victory from their opening fourteen games, which was a 2-1 victory over Gyeongnam in week two. This poor form saw the club part ways with manager Jørn Andersen as well as a few of hyped summer signings notably Vietnamese international Nguyễn Công Phượng plus Captain Nam Jun-jae.

The early season reshuffle paid dividends in the end with Summer signings Rashid Mahazi and Kim Ho-Nam as well as incoming manager Yoo Sang-Chul making huge impacts on and off the field. Following a 2-0 defeat to FC Seoul in July, Incheon only lost four of their next seventeen taking them off the foot of the table and eventually out of the relegation scrap.

Overall it was a season of two halves, but thankfully the second was much improved and certainly something worth building on.

Full Incheon United Season Review Here

Notable Moves

The most notable departure during the off-season has been U23 International Kim Jin-ya's move to rivals FC Seoul. The young winger has developed massively over the past couple of seasons at Incheon and it's a shame to see him leave.

Looking more positively the signing of twenty-two-year-old Kim Joon-beom from recently relegated Gyeongnam was a nice piece of business. The young midfielder has already made fifty professional appearances in the K League. He should be pushing for a place in the Incheon starting XI early into the season.

Finally, the return of super-sub Song Si-woo, following his military service loan to Sangju Sangmu, adds another much needed attacking option. He played twenty-three games last season scoring three times.

Key Player 

Stefan Mugoša

As top goalscorer for the previous two seasons, Montenegrin international Stefan Mugosa will once again be the main danger for Incheon moving forward. He scored fourteen times last season and nineteen back in 2018. When you consider that both seasons Incheon have struggled it's a very respectable return.

Young Player to Watch

Lee Joon-suk

Nineteen-year-old defender Lee Joon-suk played a number of games last season for Incheon and, although not the most widely known name, he produced solid and confident performances. He may be someone to keep an eye out for this coming season.

Biggest Question 

Can Incheon finally escape the yearly relegation battle?

Incheon have finished in the bottom half of the table for six seasons on the bounce with most of those involving relegation battles. So why might this season be any different? Well, this season Incheon have been able to retain much of the core squad members who played impressively during the second half of the 2019 season. In the past wholesale changes have resulted in slow starts and yearly relegation battles. Although it seems unlikely Incheon will be suddenly in title contention, they should at least be able to stay clear of the relegation battle if they can carry forward their form from last season.

Reason to Watch 

Incheon play at one of the nicest stadiums in Korea (maybe even Asia) at the Sungui Arena. With excellent transport links and tickets starting from just 12,000 Won, it's a great ground to visit even as a neutral (when fans are once again allowed to attend). The ultra Incheon fans are also some of the most passionate and noisiest in the league, which creates a fantastic atmosphere. This season Incheon have a solid squad and should be competitive week in week out, so you're in for a fun time.