Suwon Samsung has been one of the most popular clubs in the Korean Football League. This season, however, they’re languishing at the bottom of the table and are facing relegation to the second division for the first time in their history.
At the edge of the precipice, Suwon only has two games left. They need to rack up as many points as possible in the remaining 37 and 38 rounds to stay in the K League 1.
But their next opponent is a tough one. In round 37, Suwon will host their biggest rival, FC Seoul, in a game that will be played at the end of the day. Suwon will take on Seoul in a fateful ‘supermatch’ at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 4:30pm on the 25th. The outcome of this match will likely confirm Suwon’s ‘de facto’ relegation.
A 12th-place finish in the bottom half of the K League 1 table would result in automatic relegation and the team would have to spend the next season in K League 2. If they finish 10th and 11th, they’ll play a relegation playoff against K-League 2 teams, meaning they’ll have one more chance to stay in the first division if they avoid 12th place.
The three teams in the relegation zone that need to avoid 12th place are 10th-place Suwon FC (32 points), 11th-place Gangwon FC (30 points), and 12th-place Suwon (29 points). The point differential is such that the standings can fluctuate based on a single game. Coincidentally, the Supermatch will be played at the same time as Gangwon and Suwon FC meet.
Suwon’s primary goal is to take the relegation battle to the final round. The method is simple. They just need to avoid losing to Seoul. In that case, 12th place will be decided in the final round, regardless of the outcome of the Gangwon-Suwon FC match. 무지개토토
However, there is also a scenario where Suwon’s 12th place finish is virtually guaranteed. This is if Suwon loses to Seoul and Gangwon wins against Suwon FC. The relegation table would change to 10th place Gangwon (33 points), 11th place Suwon FC (32 points), and 12th place Suwon (29 points).
When ranking teams, the K League prioritizes goals scored over goals against. Currently, Suwon (34 goals) trails Suwon FC (43 goals) by nine goals in terms of goals scored. This means that even if Suwon manages to tie Suwon FC on points in the final 38 rounds, there is a very real possibility that they will finish last due to their goal difference.