Incheon Coach: 'Cong Phuong is a bright spot'

"Cong Phuong was the highlight and the best player of Incheon in this match," coach Andersen said after the loss to Daegu. "I let Cong Phuong play as an attacking midfielder with striker Stefan Mugosa, not as a playmaker. But he often had to drop deep to receive the ball and deploy it to the front line. He fought for the team and was always energetic."

In his first start in the K-League, Cong Phuong played the full 90 minutes. He created two scoring opportunities but his teammates failed to capitalize. The Vietnamese player's performance showed that he has many opportunities to continue playing as a starter.

Cong Phuong was a rare bright spot for Incheon, in a match where they played poorly. But Mr. Andersen said that Incheon did not have the strongest squad.

Andersen said Incheon lost because their opponent was stronger. He also did not want Cong Phuong to have to retreat too deep to get the ball.

"We knew how strong Daegu were, and they exploited our weaknesses well, especially in the first half. Incheon's problem was that we were missing many key players, while the right wing often had problems defending. Incheon played better in the second half, but the attack lacked cohesion and did not create many dangerous chances. We are still waiting for the key players to return, and the season is still long," he said.

In round six of the K-League on April 6, Cong Phuong and Incheon will be guests at Jeonbuk Motors Stadium.