"We know that we need to win" - Osmar Ibáñez previews #POHvSEO

FC Seoul legend Osmar Ibáñez admits that this Sunday's Hana 1Q K League 1 Round 7 fixture with Pohang Steelers is a game his team needs to win. Seoul are on a run of four games without a win and have lost their last three, although certain external factors have to be taken into consideration.

The trip to Pohang will be FC Seoul's sixth away game in seven matches due to the turf being relayed at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The season began well with four points from the first two away trips, the 2-0 win over Daegu and the credible 1-1 draw with Incheon United the following week. However, since then, Seoul have picked up just one point from their four matches since. 

Against Ulsan Hyundai in Round 5, FC Seoul were on the losing end of a late VAR penalty decision which, in the end, was ruled as an error as referee Kim Hee-gon took eight minutes and over 30 replays to decide whether Seol Young-woo was fouled or not by Yoon Jong-gyu.

The team also suffered a COVID-19 outbreak and had to field a very youthful looking lineup against Jeju United. It has not been an easy start to the new campaign, something which Osmar Ibáñez also reiterates:

"Well, before the league started, obviously, we know apparently, which were the strongest teams away like Ulsan for example, we knew it was going to be difficult to get some points there.  We were planning on winning maybe a bit more games, for example, Seongnam or Incheon and we had the chances. But we couldn't manage to win the games. I think we control the games, we play better than them in the most part, but we couldn't handle to bring the three points. 

"Because again, we knew then the fifth game was going to be Ulsan away so we wanted to have a little bit of gap, a little bit of a cushion with points but it didn't happen. Obviously, or most of the time, nothing goes as planned. Though, we have just to keep working, not get confused now and try to do the best we can, especially now away and trust a little bit more when we have the home games that we will bring the points."

Up next for FC Seoul is Pohang Steelers away, a team which have faired well against of late, picking up two wins and a draw from their last three meetings - including two wins at the Steel Yard. However, Osmar says that those results count for nothing and that he and the rest of the team are merely focused on the task at hand. 

"Well, I don't know, I cannot talk for the other players on the team but I mean, confident on that we are going to win and everything but not confident in the way of 'Okay, we've won already a couple of times, we've got this'. I know Pohang is always tough in their stadium. They play nice football, pitch is quite nice and it seems to me a little bit small as well, from inside, maybe it's the stands because they're close. But it's always a little bit tough. And I know they like to press, I remember last game last year, they came to press us high and it was a challenging game. We know, we need to win already with last to last two games to three games. So we need to win and this is very important game for us."

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