While FC Anyang of the K League 2 has achieved its dream of promoting to the top division for the first time since its foundation as the winning team, Seoul E-Land and Chungnam Asan will also try to advance to the top division for the first time in the promotion play-off. There is only one last gateway left, and they have to cross the big mountains of Jeonbuk Hyundai and Daegu FC, respectively.
The final round of the K League 1 and the K League 2 playoffs ended on the 24th, completing the promotion playoff match.
Chungnam Asan, which came on a first-come-first-served basis in the K-League 2nd place, lost 1-3 to Incheon United and will play the final survival battle against Daegu, which has been confirmed as 11th in the K-League 1.
While Jeonbuk tied Gwangju FC 1-1 to rank 10th in the K League 1, Seoul E-Land, ranked third in the K League 2, joined the promotion playoff as the last train.
Seoul E-Land first conceded two goals to the South Jeolla Dragons, who are ranked fourth in the K League 2, but scored consecutive goals in the 32nd and 35th minutes of the second half to draw 2-2. In the K League 2 playoff, Seoul E-Land was decided as Jeonbuk’s opponent for the promotion playoff in accordance with the rule that the team with the higher rank in the regular league will be the winner if it ends in a draw.
From 2022, up to three teams in the second division can be promoted to the K-League. The winning team automatically advances to the first division, with the second-place team ranking 11th in the first division and the playoff winner ranking 10th in the first division.
So far, three teams in the second division have never achieved promotion to the first division together. In the 2022 promotion playoff, Daejeon Hana Citizen beat Gimcheon Sangmu to win promotion, but Anyang was blocked by Suwon Samsung. Last year, both Busan I’Park and Gimpo FC suffered in the promotion playoff.
If Chungnam Asan and Seoul E-Land win this promotion playoff, they will make a new history.
In particular, Seoul E-Land and Chungnam Asan, which only played in the second division since their foundation, have made the playoff stage for the first time, and are determined to achieve their long-cherished dream of promotion to the first division.
Seoul E-Land, which became a member of the K-League in 2015, received a promotion opportunity for the first time in its 10th season, while Chungnam Asan, which was founded in 2020, also made a splash in its fifth season and stood in front of the final gateway to promotion.
K-League 2 teams are in a much better position. South Chungcheong Province recorded six wins (two losses) in eight final K-League 2 matches, while Seoul E-Land also garnered momentum by completing dramatic performances at the promotion and playoffs. The team also has top foreign players Juningyo (Chungnam Asan) and Bruno Silva (Seoul E-Land).
In contrast, Jeonbuk and Daegu showed a clear decline in the K League 1 final round (lower split), with one win, two draws and two losses, and two draws and three losses, respectively. During the period, Jeonbuk scored four points and Daegu lost 10 points, respectively, showing poor offense and defense.
On top of that, the winning rate of the first division team in the all-time promotion playoffs was 50% (6 wins and 6 losses), which was a lot of unexpected events.
Jeonbuk and Daegu, who are playing in the promotion playoffs for the first time, hit Bae Soo-jin, saying they would not be scapegoats.
Jeonbuk, which has the record of most wins (nine times) in the K League 1, has lost face as it fell to the relegation zone, but it is determined to keep its last pride. Jeonbuk has a thicker player base than Seoul E-Land, which is full of former and current national teams. 먹튀검증
Daegu, which won promotion to the top division by ranking second in the K League 2 in 2016, is also determined to stay. Daegu saved key players such as Cesinha and Edgar in the final round of the K League 1 in preparation for the promotion and playoffs.
Meanwhile, Daegu and Chungnam Asan will play the first round at Cheonan Stadium at 7 p.m. on the 28th and the second round at DGB Daegu Bank Park at 2 p.m. on December 1.
Jeonbuk and Seoul E-Land will play the first game at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul at 4 p.m. on December 1 and the second game at Jeonju World Cup Stadium at 2:20 p.m. on the 8th.