2019 Season Review: Incheon United

Incheon United once again endured a long hard season, with more lows points that highs but ultimately survived to play other year in the top flight of Korean football.

What Went Well

Incheon survived once again despite being deep in the relegation battle for almost the entire season. The end of season form ultimately saved Incheon from the drop, with only one defeat in their last nine games. They also produced improved away form this past season, winning five on the road all by narrow single goal margins.

Overall Incheon survived and their fans can rest easy knowing that top division football is secured for another year. Hopefully, the form from the end of the season can be carried over into the 2020 season.

What Didn't Go Well

Nearly everything went wrong this past season for Incheon United, a lack of goals to begin with followed by issues in defence and a failure to win games. Home form during the 2019 season saw a seventeen game run without a home win and throughout the season the home fans only saw two wins but at least eight draws.

Poor signings and managerial changes also fueled the poor season and overall Incheon survived but it was in part due to Jeju United and Gyeongnam doing worse, and not Incheon improving leaps and bounds over previous campaigns.

Young Player of the Year

Kim Jin-ya, despite only being twenty-one, has already amassed over seventy first-team appearances for Incheon. He also has an Asian Games Gold medal meaning that he will not be required to serve military service. He played much of the season at left-back, but also made appearances in left midfield showing that he is a jack of all trades.

He played in the infamous Team K League game against Juventus in the Summer and he has been named in the U22 Squad for the Olympic Qualifying tournament in January, so he could be on his way toward a full international call-up one day in the future. Sadly for Incheon, it seems likely he'll leave during the offseason with FC Seoul being his rumoured destination.

Team MVP

Stefan Mugoša started the season slowly after signing a new two-year deal at the end of the 2019 season. However, he bounced back quickly during the Summer months and finished the season with fourteen goals to his name, making up just under half of all of Incheon's goals this past season.

He also scored whilst away on international duty showing that his club form has also benefited Montenegro. It seems unlikely Incheon will be able to hold on to him during the off-season with their current financial issues, but home fans will be hopeful.

Most Disappointing Player

Vietnamese international Nguyễn Công Phượng joined backed by a huge amount of hype and praise. However, following just eight appearances which included only two full games he moved on to play in Belgium, where sadly he has played less than he did whilst at Incheon. Fingers crossed if Incheon opt to sign another Vietnamese player they go with someone a little more seasoned and suited to the K League style of game.

Most Important Decision of the Off Season

Firstly Incheon will sadly have to name at least a temporary manager as current first-team boss Yoo Sang-Chul is battling cancer. Hopefully, he'll recover and continue as Incheon boss in the future.

Secondly Incheon will likely need to recruit a number of new players, with obvious gaps at the back, in midfield and upfront. Replacing key players such as Kim Jin-ya and Stefan Mugosa like also sadly maybe be needed.

Overall Incheon United have a lot of work to do in order to improve next season and avoid yet another relegation battle. Decisions made at this point will be key as Incheon have struggled in recent years to make strong start to their seasons and ultimately have had problems.