Despite the cold weather, many Seoul E-Land fans visited the 2022 season home opening game at the Mokdong Main Stadium. photo courtesy of | Seoul E-Land
Although the fans did not gather as much as expected due to the sudden cold weather, the heat of ‘Reul Park’ in Mok-dong, the new home of E-Land in Seoul, was quite hot. However, when the game started, I was frowned upon because of the serious turf condition that was unbelievable for a professional stadium.
Seoul E-Land drew 0-0 in the 6th round home match of ‘Hana One Q K League 2 2022’ with Chungnam Asan FC held at Mokdong Sports Complex on the 19th. Founded in 2015, Seoul E-Land has been using the Jamsil Olympic Main Stadium as their home, and has since established a new location in Mok-dong from the 2022 season.
The first match in Mok-dong was filled with abundance. Various specialized seats and the stadium scenery matched to the club’s unique color stood out. It was full of things to see and enjoy, such as the time axis of the tall team of the TV entertainment program ‘Girls Hitting Goals’, the half-time celebration stage of the girl group WJSN, and a food truck behind the goalpost. Due to the sudden cold weather, the 4,000 pre-booking seats might not be filled, but 2376 home fans lit up the place.
The turf condition of the Mokdong Main Stadium is very serious. There was a risk of injury to the players as well as difficulties in the progress of the game. shepherds | Reporter Lee Seung-woo raul1649@donga.com
However, due to the serious turf condition, the sincerity was fading, and the players were exposed to the risk of injury. Every time they took a step, the grass all over the field was dug, and players often fell even when there was no contact. Due to the uneven ground condition, even short passes were limited. After the match, coach Dong-hyuk Park of Asan, South Chungcheong Province, said, “It is the same for E-Land in Seoul as well as us. It’s a pity that I mightn’t use any tactics or strategies.”
It was foreseen. At Mokdong Stadium, the construction of replacing artificial turf with natural turf began only in November of last year, when all of the previously scheduled amateur soccer and other events were completed. There was not enough time to establish the grass, and there were no additional measures to help the growth. Seoul E-Land was away for a month following the opening, but it was still not in a state to play. I noticed the seriousness of the condition of the grass during the practice game held a week ago, but there was nothing I might do regarding it. A stadium official said, “I should have seen the condition by at least April, but the schedule was too tight.”
Seoul E-Land, as a club that looks beyond K League 2 (Part 2) to K League 1 (Part 1), has an obligation to show the best game to the fans. I have to spend the next five years or more in a shepherd, but it seems difficult right now. An official from the club said, “We will do our best to repair and manage the turf until FC Anyang on the 27th, but it is difficult to improve significantly in a week.”
Reporter Lee Seung-woo raul1649@donga.com More articles by the reporter
