The harvest season is fast approaching. The two-week A-Match break was a prelude. Not a single team has been able to kick back and relax. From leaders Ulsan Hyundai to last-place Gangwon FC, all 12 teams are in the thick of things.
Tensions are high in Ulsan. They’re still in the lead with 61 points, but their once 15+ point lead has shrunk to single digits and eight points. The second-place Pohang Steelers have 53 points. Ulsan has just one win (2 draws) in its last five matches. A home game against Gwangju FC just before the A-Match break was a dark reminder of Ulsan’s current state. They say there is no player greater than the team. Against Gwangju, there was no team. Head coach Hong Myung-bo said, “There is no sense of responsibility and cohesion. They say they have individual abilities, but if they don’t move as a team, they don’t show up.” “There were signs of dedication during the championship last year, but I don’t see that at all. We’re trying to do our best, but there’s something missing,” he said.
With nowhere to turn, Ulsan will play Daejeon Hana Citizen in the 30th round of the Hana One Q K League 1 2023 at 7 p.m. on the 16th at Ulsan World Cup Stadium. It’s Daejeon again. Ulsan is winless against Daejeon this season. They have drawn 1-1 in two matches. There is also a power leak. Seol Young-woo and Uhm Won-sang were sent to the Hangzhou Asian Games. Kim Young-kwon, Jeong Seung-hyun, Cho Hyun-woo, Lee Dong-kyung, and other players who traveled to Europe for the A-Match were also tired.
Eighth-place Daejeon (37 points) also has a busy road ahead. They are fighting for the last spot in the Final A, which is sixth place. The difference between them and sixth-place Daegu FC (41 points) is four points. With a win against Daejeon, Ulsan will become the first team to win against a former club this season. 온라인바카라
Pohang, who are unbeaten in eight matches (4W, 4D), will host 10th-ranked Suwon FC (29 points) at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Pohang has a relatively light footing against Suwon, having won both meetings this season. Suwon FC is desperate to escape the relegation zone, and Pohang is hoping to pull off an ‘upset win’ and close the gap on Ulsan to five points in this round.
Third-placed Gwangju (45 points), who are in the best shape of their lives, will host fourth-placed FC Seoul (43 points) on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Seoul World Cup Stadium. Gwangju is unbeaten in its last nine matches (4W, 5D) after beating Ulsan. Seoul, coached by acting head coach Kim Jin-gyu, bounced back with a supermatch win over Suwon Samsung on Feb. 2. Both teams have yet to clinch a Final A spot. Gwangju is tied with third-place Suwon, while Seoul has a double-header to reclaim third place. In their two meetings this season, Seoul took all three points.
Fifth-place Jeonbuk Hyundai, with 43 points and a game in hand on Seoul, will face Gangwon (21 points) at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Jeonju Stadium. The fact that five players – Baek Seung-ho, Song Min-kyu, Park Jin-seop, Kim Jung-hoon, and Park Jae-yong – have joined the Asian Games squad is the biggest variable, but the team can only hope for the best from its deep roster. Gangwon is on the edge of a precipice and is putting everything on the line to ‘get out of last place’.