The 12 teams of the K League 1 will play 33 rounds in the regular league and will be divided into two groups. The 1st to 6th places will belong to the Final Round Group A, while the 7th to 12th places will be grouped into Group B for an additional five games. By playing teams with similar rankings at the end of the season, the top ranks will compete for the title of the league and advance to the AFC Champions League, while the bottom ranks will stage fierce competition to stay. The distinct distinction between Final A and B is also a yardstick that determines success or failure of farming in a season.
With “Hana Bank K League 1 2024” playing 25 games per team, FC Seoul, Gwangju FC, and Jeju United continue to compete narrowly between Final A and B. Seoul ranks sixth (10 wins, 6 draws and 9 losses, 36 points), Gwangju ranks seventh (11 wins, 1 draw and 13 losses, 34 points), and Jeju ranks eighth (10 wins, 2 draws and 13 losses, 32 points).
Seoul has been tight-lipped by the Maginot line of Final A, but it must not let its guard down. Starting from the 2020 season, the team competed in the Final B for four consecutive seasons, ranking ninth, seventh, and ninth. This season, the team has to deal with a lack of endurance. Last season, the team lost 0-2 at home to Jeonbuk Hyundai in the 33rd round, the last game of the regular round, falling to the Final B to the 7th place. In order for coach Kim Ki-dong’s long-term “rebuilding a prestigious Seoul” project to gain momentum, he needs to make it to the Final A at least this season. 스포츠토토 This is why he needs to win an away game against the Pohang Steelers on Wednesday.
Gwangju should also focus on last-minute point management in order not to end this season in a “failure.” While Gwangju made a splash by ranking third under coach Lee Jung-hyo last year, the team is in a difficult race this year as it is restricted from recruiting players due to violation of the club’s fiscal soundness regulations. Gwangju, which has focused on boosting the organization of existing players for two weeks without recruiting players during the summer transfer market, will play an away game against Jeonbuk on Wednesday.
Jeju also has ample motivation to advance to the Final A. Veteran coach Kim Hak-beom took the helm this season, but his journey has not been smooth. The team’s 1-0 home win against defending champion Ulsan HD on June 26, the latest of its kind, is a boon to the team. If it secures two consecutive home wins against Incheon United on June 10, it can revive hope for the Final A.