The biggest “fountain spirit” is coming for the championship competition.
The K-League 1 championship race is still ongoing. Ulsan HD (62 points), which is in the lead, is occupying the advantageous position, but the pursuit of second-ranked Gangwon FC (58 points) and third-ranked Gimcheon Sangmu (57 points) is also continuing. The fourth-ranked Pohang Steelers (52 points) are somewhat far from competing for the championship, but they can seek to advance to the Asian stage next season if they keep the current ranking.
Ulsan, the leader, and Pohang, the fourth-ranked team, will have the final East Coast Derby this season. The two teams will face off at Pohang Steel Yard on Tuesday. Ulsan leads the team with two wins and one loss this season. Ulsan won in the 29th round, the most recent showdown, and the two teams scored nine goals to stage a lively match.
Both teams lost in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) held during the week. Pohang lost 0-1 to Vissel Kobe of Japan at home. The team won three consecutive ACLE games, which is a long way to travel.
As such, it is necessary to change the mood in the East Coast Guard. For Pohang, the key is whether its players will recover their physical stamina. Coach Park Tae-ha took a large number of key players for the away match at Buriram. Although he used “young blood” in the latter half, he is under pressure due to the considerable travel distance. Besides Jorge, frontline strikers have collapsed one after another, which is worrisome.
Ulsan can have an advantage in physical strength compared to Pohang as it played at home. However, the silence of front-line striker Joo Min-gyu seems to be prolonged. Joo Min-gyu’s toes have become dull, missing a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper in the match against Kobe. If Ulsan fails to overcome the “rival” Pohang, which it met again at a critical juncture, its third consecutive league victory will also turn on a red light.
Second-ranked Gangwon and third-ranked Gimcheon will also stage a head-to-head race at Gangneung Sports Complex on Wednesday. The gap between the two teams is only one point. The team that wins three points on the day can compete with Ulsan until the end. As Gangwon will face Ulsan in the 36th round, it can turn the tables if it wins both games. Gimcheon is leading the opponents with two wins and one loss this season. 스포츠토토
Gangwon has been undefeated in three recent matches (two wins and one draw). It also beat FC Seoul, which had never won in this season, in its first match of the final round. On the other hand, Gimcheon had one draw and one loss in two consecutive matches against Ulsan, losing the second place to Gangwon. Park Sang-hyuk and Yoo Kang-hyun, who alternately play as front-line strikers, failed to score in three and five matches, respectively. The winning team can continue its chances of winning.