Jesse Lingard captains FC Seoul to 2-2 draw with league-leading Ulsan

FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard was handed the captain's armband for his side’s 2-2 draw with defending champions Ulsan HD on Sunday, salvaging an important point for the struggling capital side.

FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard dribbles the ball during a K League 1 match against Ulsan HD at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Sunday. [YONHAP]

FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard was handed the captain's armband for his side’s 2-2 draw with defending champions Ulsan HD on Sunday, salvaging an important point for the struggling capital side.

Lingard was given the armband at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan in only his eighth game for the club, with regular captain Ki Sung-yueng out with an injury.

FC Seoul manager Kim Gi-dong said after the match that he gave Lingard the armband because he has ample experience on the pitch and did not shy away from the responsibility.

The former Manchester United midfielder played the entire match, making effective passes in the center of the pitch, although his teammates failed to capitalize. Goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo blocked the only shot on target by Lingard, denying what could have been his first goal for FC Seoul.

FC Seoul struggled in the early going, conceding the opening goal a minute after kickoff to Joo Min-kyu, who exploited a mistimed pass to give Ulsan the lead.

FC Seoul defender Lee Tae-seok then doubled that lead with an own goal in the 42nd minute.

The capital side tied things up in the second half through a Stanislav Iljutcenko double, picking up goals in the 51st and 76th minutes to secure a point.

The draw allowed Ulsan to regain the top spot one day after Gangwon took it, while FC Seoul retained their position in ninth place.

Over in Jeonju, North Jeolla, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors also drew 2-2 with Incheon United on Sunday.

Sunday’s draw extends Jeonbuk’s winless streak to four, having last secured a win over Gwangju FC on May 19.

The nine-time K League 1 champions’ struggle comes despite new manager Kim Do-heon having taken the helm last month. Kim has yet to secure a win with Jeonbuk.

Another struggling side Daegu FC, meanwhile, escaped the bottom of the table after a 1-0 win against Jeju on Sunday.

Six other teams were in action on Saturday.

Gangwon FC beat Suwon FC 3-1 at home and stretched their winning streak to five, marking their first time doing so in seven years.

Lee Seung-woo provided the sole goal for Suwon, which made him the top scorer in the league with nine goals in 14 matches.

Elsewhere, the Pohang Steelers drew 1-1 with Daejeon Hana Citizen, who hit the bottom of the table after the match.

Over in Gwangju, Gwangju took three points after a 2-0 win over Gimcheon Sangmu.

Gimcheon will go through multiple changes next month, with some of their key players set to leave the club upon the end of their military service.

Twenty new players, who enlisted and finished basic training on June 5, will be on the books with Gimcheon until they finish their service on Oct. 28, 2025.

Gimcheon Sangmu forward Kim Seung-sub, center, in action during a K League 1 match against Gwangju FC at Gwangju Football Stadium in Gwangju in a photo shared on Gimcheon's official Instagram account on Sunday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The newbies also include former Ulsan midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong, who displayed solid form during Ulsan’s 2023-24 AFC Champions League run.

The K League will continue this week with Jeonbuk traveling east to face Daegu on Saturday.

Daejeon will play Gwangju at home on the same day, while Gimcheon take on Gangwon in Gangneung, Gangwon. FC Seoul will host Suwon in the capital.

The Steelers will head north to face Incheon the following day, while Ulsan fly south to play Jeju.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]