"I'm not dead yet"... Last minute spurt in Jeonbuk in the K League
"I'm not dead yet"... Last minute spurt in Jeonbuk in the K League
Blog Article
With only three games left until the end of the K League 1 regular season, Ulsan HD and Jeonbuk Hyundai are displaying their potential as "traditional powerhouses." Ulsan aims to lead alone, while Jeonbuk seeks to escape from the relegation zone.
According to the Korea Professional Football Federation, Ulsan is the sole leader at the top of the K-League 1 ranking table (54 points, 16 wins, 6 draws and 8 losses). It beat Gangwon FC (51 points, 15 wins, 6 draws and 9 losses), which tied points, 2-0 in the previous 30 rounds to lead the competition. 토토사이트
Ulsan is also close to its goal of "three consecutive K-League defeats." Since sending Hong Myung-bo as men's A-team coach in July, Ulsan has been in a somewhat chaotic mood, but it is quickly seeking stability under Kim Pan-gon. It has widened its gap with Gangwon, which had only two wins, one draw and two losses during the same period with four wins and one loss in the past five games.
If the current trend continues, the competition for the championship is expected to take place in a two-way race against Gangwon. Kim Cheon Sangmu (50 points of 14 wins, 8 draws and 8 losses) in third place also lost its strength with 1 win, 1 draw and 3 losses, while the Pohang Steelers, who once participated in the lead-off battle, suffered a humiliating six consecutive losses, the most in the club's history, and is ranking sixth (44 points of 12 wins, 8 draws and 10 losses).
Below the rankings, the struggle to escape from the relegation zone is as fierce as the battle for the championship. Jeonbuk is particularly on the rise. It has had three wins, one draw and one loss in the past five games, including a 6-0 victory against Suwon FC. It was in the last place until mid-August, but it has risen two notches to 10th place (33 points, 8 wins, 9 draws and 13 losses).
In the previous match against Suwon FC, Lee Seung-woo had a great presence. Lee Seung-woo, who moved to Jeonbuk from Suwon FC in July receiving the best treatment ever in the K-League, played an active role in the match with one goal and two assists. He accumulated his first offensive point in two months after moving to the team, which he had been waiting for, and suffered a defeat to his "friendly team."
Another key to his upward trajectory is his sense of stability in defense. Currently, he has lost the most points in the league by allowing 49 goals, but he has displayed robust defense capability, which has been his team's weak link this season, by allowing two goals in the last five games. With captain Park Jin-seop at the center, veteran Hong Jeong-ho is firmly in charge of the center, and side by side, Kim Tae-hyun, who joined the summer transfer market, is also supporting him.
As a result, the competition to stay in the top division, which was already in chaos, has been ignited. As Daejeon Hana Citizen and Daegu FC, which were in the relegation zone including Jeonbuk, won in the 30th round, the score gap between the eighth and 12th places has narrowed to a mere four points.
Coincidentally, Jeonbuk will face the remaining teams in all three remaining matches. It has no choice but to stage an all-out war every game. It will face Daejeon at the ninth place (34 points from eight wins, 10 draws and 12 losses), Jeju United at the eighth place (35 points from 11 wins, 2 draws and 17 losses) on the 28th, and Daegu at the 11th place (33 points from eight wins, 9 draws and 13 losses) at the last regular season game on March 6.