Trust in Ilyuchenko, "Top Goaltender" overcomes slump and finds a sense of goal
Stanislav Ilyuchenko 33, FC Seoul was born with a sense of goal. He proved it from the debut season of the K-League 1. It was the second half of the 2019 season. Ilyushchenko had nine goals 18 games while taking charge of the front line of the Pohang Steelers. In the 2020 season, he had 19 goals and six assists in 26 K-League 1 matches. Ilyushchenko also showed off his competitive edge by scoring 15 goals 34 matches in the 2021 season, when he moved to Hyundai in North Jeolla Province. Ilyushchenko's relationship with FC Seoul was July 12, 2022. Ilyushchenko needed a team that can play as a starting member. Ilyushchenko had only two goals in 17 K-League 1 matches, having been pushed out of the competition to become a starting member in the first half of the 2022 season. Seoul needed a main striker to succeed Dejan, Adriano and Park Chu-young. The first season between Ilyushchenko and Seoul went smoothly. Ilyushchenko had seven goals and one assist in 16 matches in the second half of the K-League 1 in the 2022 season. Ilyuchenko is not only a player with a good sense of goal. "Ilyuchenko is a professional player," which is a common evaluation among Seoul players and officials. Seoul appointed a new captain ahead of the 2023 season. It was Ilyuchenko. Captain Ilyushchenko fell into a slump. He gave up his starting position to Hwang Ui-jo, who was a loanee. As he played only as a substitute, his sense of play fell significantly. Ilyushchenko regained his starting position after Ahn Ik-soo abruptly resigned on Aug. 22, 2016. However, Ilyushchenko's performance was much different from that of his time in Pohang. Ilyushchenko had five goals in 24 K-League 1 matches in the 2023 season. The soccer community had high expectations for Ilyushchenko in the 2024 season. Ilyushchenko has reunited with coach Kim Ki-dong, who had boosted his strength to the maximum during the Pohang season. Ilyushchenko started the 2024 season with coach Kim's strong trust. Ilyushchenko's performance did not go as planned. Ilyushchenko only scored one goal through the fourth round of the K-League 1 in the 2024 season. His team was also shaken by the sluggish performance of its main striker. Seoul had one win, two draws and one loss five points through the fourth round of the K-League 1. The biggest concern was the dull window, which scored only three goals in four games. On April 3. Ilyushchenko scored two goals and two assists at a home game against Gimcheon Sangmu. It was a performance that would remind him of his Pohang days. When asked, "Was it the best game you played in a Seoul uniform?" Ilyushchenko nodded and answered, "Yes." Ilyushchenko had individual interviews with Kim before the match. Kim played a video clip of Ilyushchenko during his time in Pohang. Ilyushchenko said, "It was not the first individual meeting with the coach," adding, "When I watch videos of good performance, I get positive thoughts and confidence." "I 99 percent agree with the coach's philosophy and direction of soccer. I will pour everything into every game to meet the expectations of the coach and his teammates. There is no pressure," Ilyushchenko pledged. Seoul will have a showdown with Daegu FC in the sixth round of the K-League 1 in the 2024 season at DGB Daegu Bank Park on Tuesday. Seoul will seek its first consecutive win of the season on the day. It is questionable whether Ilyushchenko will be able to continue his race against Gimcheon with two consecutive goals.