"It feels weird, but...We're home"

Osmar's team E-Land will face Seoul in the third round of the 2024 Hana Bank Korea Cup (formerly the Korea Football Association FA Cup) at Mokdong Stadium in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, at 7:30 p.m. on the 17th.

It is the second-ever Seoul Derby between two teams based in Seoul in the K League.

The first Seoul Derby was the third round of the FA Cup at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in 2021.

At the time, E-Land defeated Seoul 1-0.

The game, the second Seoul derby, has added the nickname "Osmar Derby."

Osmar, who played in Seoul for nine years from the 2014 season, has been wearing E-Land uniforms from this season.

Osmar, who played full-time for Seoul in the first derby, had a special experience in the second derby against his former team in an E-Land uniform.

Ahead of the Seoul derby with his former team, Osmar said, "I feel very strange. I don't know how I would feel if I greet my former teammates before the game. It will be a very special game."

"I trained and played with Seoul players, but I have never faced each other as an opposing team," he said. "It is new. I think it will be a challenge to myself."

Osmar, the "e-Landman," put his friendship with his old colleagues aside for a while.

"Honestly, I expected it to be an easy game, but it wasn't," Osmar said of his defeat three years ago. "I hope Seoul will come with the same mindset as it did back then. This is our home. I want to win," he said, foreshadowing an unyielding match.

He added, "We want to prepare well for each other to show a new story and meet each other at the stadium."

E-Land and Seoul are expected to play an unwavering match in the Osmar Derby.

E-Land, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, appointed Kim Do-kyun to prepare for the 2024 season with an ambitious dream of promotion.

E-Land currently ranks seventh in the K League with eight points with two wins, two draws and two losses.

He seemed to get off to a fresh start with consecutive wins in the first and second rounds, but since then, the atmosphere has subsided as he failed to win four consecutive games with two draws and two losses.

In order to turn the atmosphere around, Korea Cup victory is needed.

Osmar said, "We all have strengths as a team that defends and attacks together. As we are getting better and better, I want to show good performance in the Seoul Derby."

Seoul is in a similar situation.

Seoul, which left the baton to head coach Kim Ki-dong and recruited "superstar" Jesse Lingard to aim for the championship, ranked sixth with two wins, three draws and two losses (9 points) and held a somewhat disappointing ranking table.

Seoul should also try to change the atmosphere in the Korea Cup, as it has not tasted the sweetness of victory with one draw and one loss recently.

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