Exiled in a Foreign Land

K-league Incheon Korail 2-1 Chunnam
Ha Seung-Yong 3'
Mamady Kaba 42'
- We continue our winning ways. Nothing much to report, except that we should've kept a clean sheet.

Busan 1-2 Incheon Korail
Seo Myung-Won 6'
Ha Seung-Yong 86'
- We came back from the dead in this match. We should've been comfortable winners, but Busan dominated most of the match, only for Ha Seung-Yong to finish them off with an effort from outside the box. Next up, a must win in the Champions League.

Asian Champions League - Group Stage
This is what the group looked like before the match:
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- We needed to win this one, and for Okayama to draw or worse. If they match our result, they are through.

Guangzhou took the lead early on, with a chip over the goalkeeper in the 12th minute. They made it two in the 68th minute and the dream was over. Ha Seung-Yong got one back in the 83rd minute, but it was nothing more than a consolation. We were outplayed.
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/Guangzhou2.jpg

http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/ChampsOut.jpg

K-League
- Seoul are leading the league, with our team in second place. They are, on-paper, the much better side but the boys know we can win this one.
Incheon Korail 1-0 Seoul
Seo Myung-Won 5'

- League table update:
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-27_00006.jpg

K-League
Jeju 3-0 Incheon Korail
- The less we talk about this game, the better. Success has gotten to our youngsters' head yet again and none of them showed up mentally. They better change their attitude before the next match.

Daejeon 0-4 Incheon Korail
Ha Seung-Yong 22', 35'
Choi Eun-Sung 32'
Lee Seung-Hwan 44'
- That is more like it. Seung-Yong has been doing well for us this season, and looked good in this match. Hope he remains in this patch for a long season.

FA Cup - 3rd Round
Our FA Cup campaign starts off with an away trip to Gwangju, who are in the N-League. We are favourites here and are carrying a good batch of away supporters - the boys should be able to get this match out of the way very easily.
Gwangju FC 0-3 Incheon Korail
Ha Seung-Yong 38', 86'
Seo Myung-Won 75'

K-League
Incheon Korail 2-1 Pohang
Ha Seung-Yong 68', 81'
- This match did give me quite a scare, when Pohang took the lead in the 18th minute, but when the boys were told they were playing like rubbish, they completely dominated the second half and won the match.

- Our very first interaction with our non-affiliated parent club. This match was basically a media special, to see how our team would hold up against a team who is far bigger and more experienced than us, and we delived.
Incheon 0-3 Incheon Korail
Seo Myung-Won 65', 73', pen90+2'
- A great day for the youngster; he thoroughly enjoyed scoring that last minute penalty and completing his hat-trick.

Jeonbuk 1-2 Incheon Korail
Ha Seung-Yong 23'
Hwang Min 89'

After this match, I received a very important e-mail from our board of directors. For the season season in a row, I was giving an option of bettering my promise of avoiding relegation and get some money pumping into the club.
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Although we were in 2nd position at the time, it wasn't in anyone's best interest to dream of winning the league. A top-half finish seemed likely and safe. We didn't improve our finances by a lot, but it was enough to sign a player for the future.
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FA Cup - 4th Round - I am facing a club, Sangju FC I'm sure most of the Korean managers hate. They take away your players the moment they are hitting top form. Yes, I know they are going to the military but doesn't change the fact that you have to look for replacements.

The coaches are warning me about one player, but I need the help. I know how devastating this guy can be.
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Sangju FC 2-3 Incheon Korail
Mamady Kaba 1', 31'
Ha Seung-Yong 26'

And we've made to the next round, even though it was completely unexpected. Kim Seong-Min did score the two goals for Sangju, but we had the match sealed up in the 31st minute itself.
Up next, the League Cup Quarterfinal against Busan.

League Cup Quarter Final
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As expected, yet again, we are far from being favourites, but when will the pundits learn we are the real deal? We dominated this match from start to finish, and leaving doubters' jaws wide open.
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-27_00013.jpg

K-League
- With a rest of merely 2 days, our boys were in no condition to play this match, and were rested. Instead, most of our fringe players were fielded and I wasn't expecting too much from them, to be honest.
Gyeongnam 1-1 Incheon Korail
Mamady Kaba 19'
Mamady Kaba 80'

FA Cup Semi Final
- We are playing probably the best team in the league, Seoul, but we have a good run going.
Seoul 1-2 Incheon Korail
Seo Myung-Won 31'
Park Yong-Hwan 69'
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-27_00016.jpg

K-League
Incheon Korail 3-0 Daegu
Seo Myung-Won 14', 63', 86'
- A real good game, and Myung-Won continues his goal scoring spree. Who needs Seong-Min, when you have a younger, better striker?

Here's the K-League table half way through the season:
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-27_00017.jpg

League Cup - Final

This is it. Another final for our team.
http://www.sportepoch.com//upload/team/thumbnails/team5585.jpg Vs http://sys.betcalcio.it/sq/31044.gif

http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-27_00019.jpg

Ha Seung-Yong 5', 44'
Roland Alberg 37'
Seo Myung-Won 47'
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We are still within the free transfer window and I need to bolster up my defence. After signing up a left-back, the right side got a decent back up as well.
Im Kyung-Hoon
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-28_00001.jpg

K-League
Ulsan 1-3 Incheon Korail
Seo Myung-Won 7', 24', 59'
- Another hat-trick by the South Korean U-20 International. He seems to be loving his spot in the first-team, but this would lead to him needing a better contract, which I just can't afford right now.

Incheon Korail 3-2 Incheon
Ha Seung-Yong 16', 42'
Park Yong-Hwan 40'
- We are getting into this nasty habit of not conceeding goals late in the second half. This time we were lucky because he had a three-goal advantage. We may not be this lucky next time.

Sangju FC 3-0 Incheon Korail
- Kim Seong-Min was rested for this match, but that didn't stop Sangju from dominating this match completely. Nothing to report. We didn't stand a chance.
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-28_00003.jpg

FA Cup Quarter Final
Incheon Korail 4-2 Busan
Lee Seong-Hwan 1'
Park Yong-Hwan 25', 86'
Mamady Kaba 32'
- Again, we had this match won within the first 30 minutes, but poor defending had the fans chewing off their nails till Yong-Hwan finished the game off.

K-League
Incheon Korail 3-0 Seongnam
Mamady Kaba 27', 74'
Ha Seung-Yong 38'
- Never any doubt, really. Bring on the next opponent.

Incheon Korail 1-0 Mokpo
Ha Seung-Yong 26'
Billy Tsovolos - 2 weeks.

Chunnam 3-0 Incheon Korail
Moussa Toure - 7 weeks.
Jang Woo-Chang - 3 weeks.
- We had three decent left-backs to begin with, and now, we have none. None of our other defenders are even mediocrely capable of filling into that position. Once our defenders were injured, their attackers just ran wild.

Suwon 1-0 Incheon Korail
- I had to completely overhaul my tactics and come up with one to protect my left side make-shift defender. This would meet playing my attackers and midfielders completely out of position. It almost paid off, well, almost paid off. Suwon are now one point behind us in the league standings.

Incheon Korail 0-2 Busan
- Another loss, and this time, it was in the Transport derby. It seemed as if Busan was set up right to exploit our defence and it paid of. Thankfully, Tsovolos resumes training this week. Suwon have taken over the lead in the standings.

FA Cup - Semi-Final Incheon Korail 2-0 Incheon
Seo Myung-Won 33', 40'
- Again, we get the better of our supposed parent club. Does that make us the parent club now? The fans certainly think of us as the better side, as our team is applauded off the pitch. We are through to the final of the FA Cup for the third consecutive year, two under my reign.
In the final, we will be facing Jeju, another surprise winner from the semi-finals.

K-League
- Our next opponents are lying in third place, comfortably above the others. This match could get difficult.
Seoul 1-4 Incheon Korail
Roland Alberg 6'
Lee Ik-Hoon 30', 50', 81'
- It is brilliant to see our fourth best striker also being capable of scoring a hat-trick. I didn't expect this kind of performance from our side, especially since we have had a history of complacency after cup victories. Ik-Hoon has scored after a long, long time.
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-28_00008.jpg

- In this match, we face a team we will be facing again in a month's time in the FA Cup Final. Let the mind games begin.
Incheon Korail 3-0 Jeju
Lee Seung-Hwan 26'
Mamady Kaba 50'
Lee Ik-Hoon 56'
Billy Tsovolos - 2 weeks.
- This was just about perfect. Jeju's away fans didn't even wait in the stadium past the 60th minute. This match also made sure we secured a playoff spot. Of course, Tsovolos being injured is not the best thing that could've happened, but Moussa Toure has already resumed training, and should be available for selection in the next game.
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/PlayofSport.jpg

Incheon Korail 2-0 Daejeon
Choi En-Sung 75'
Seo Myung-Won 90+1
- Couldn't play Moussa Toure because he wasn't match fit, but we still won, albeit keeping it a little late.

Pohang 2-1 Incheon Korail
Seo Myung-Won 39'
Moussa Toure - 3 months.
- Oh, dear lord. Not only do we suffer a loss, but Toure goes back to being injured and will be out for the rest of the season.

Incheon Korail 2-3 Jeonbuk
Seo Myung-Won 31', 73'
- Again, we lose because of our lack of defenders. Suwon have lost as well, so the gap remains 1 point with 2 games to go. FA Cup final is upon us and Tsovolos is racing against time to be fit for the match.

FA Cup Final
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/FACUPPART.jpg

http://www.sportepoch.com//upload/team/thumbnails/team5585.jpg Vs http://img.livetv.ru/img/teams/fullsize/10849.gif
Incheon Korail 2-1 Jeju
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/Winning-1.jpg
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/DoubleWin.jpg
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http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/DelightedKR.jpg
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The Awards

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As soon I came back from the press conference, there were rumours of a Chinese Super League side offering me a contract. The season wasn't over for my current team, Incheon, but with lack of funds and wage restrictions being a massive hinderance, it would be criminal for me to reject an offer providing me to lead a club to Champions League victory.
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-29_00001.jpg

I had a decision to make. Leaving the club would be difficult. After all, three years ago, they gave me an opportunity not many clubs were ready to offer, but I had done enough for them, to leave without receiving too much hate. I could delay Shangdon and get Incheon the K-League title, but I couldn't miss out on this chance of managing a big club, with a massive transfer budget compared to my current club.

There was one thing stopping me though - Champions League football. Incheon Korail had Champions League football on offer, thanks to our FA Cup victory. I wouldn't leave a guaranteed Group Stage spot for a year without that competition. It was when I dug deeper I found out Shangdon was still in the Chinese FA Cup Quarterfinals, but had a difficult route to the final. That didn't deter me. With good players and a patient board, Super League & Champions League glory would be ours very soon.

It was official, after talking to the board
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And the contracts were signed
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A little background about my new club.
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/ShangGround.jpg

What players I have, going into the FA Cup Quarter Final
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-29_00009.jpg

A little short of quality in the midfield, and a little too over-dependent on foreign recruits. My immediate goal will be to find some home-grown replacements for my highest earners.

The board knew I had experience from another nation and helped me out with the situation by updating our scouting range, so that I can scout players from South Korea and the rest of the continent.
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/ScoutUp.jpg

- Here is why the previous manager got sacked.
http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww98/akashrv/2012-07-29_00014.jpg