There has never been a season like this. Both “Wi-Tsuh” and “Wi-Tsuh” are in the midst of a huge battle. Both players have zero chance to win the title and receive demotion. The K League 1 is having one of the best seasons ever.
There are only five rounds left until the split junction. On Oct. 6, they will be separated into two worlds after 33 rounds. At Final A, where the first to sixth places will be located, they will win the title and have a battle of tickets for the Asian Champions League (ACLE and ACL2). Final B, which is ranked 7th to 12th, is a battle of survival matches. The 12th place, which is the lowest, will be directly demoted to the second division, while the 10th and 11th places will be determined through the promotion and playoffs.
The projected structure for the 2024 season has long been broken. The current leader is Gangwon FC (with 50 points), which ranked 10th last season and survived after receiving a promotion and approval. Though unexpected, the team ranks first for various reasons. Gangwon scored 51 goals, the most among the 12 teams. However, the team suffered another “crack” in the last round. Gangwon and FC Seoul, which are on a four-game winning streak, collided. Seoul won 2-0, disallowing Gangwon from taking the lead.
The gap between Gangwon and the sixth-ranked Pohang Steelers (44 points) is only six points. Ulsan HD (48 points), Suwon FC, and Gimcheon Sangmu (47 points) are within the range, which ranks second to fourth. Ulsan, which aims to win the K League 1 title for the third consecutive year, has emerged from the worst, while Suwon FC, where Kwon Kyung-won and Lee Seung-woo left, caught everyone off guard with two consecutive wins. And Seoul is ranked fifth with 45 points. Seoul, which has recorded five consecutive wins, is displaying the strongest capability at the moment. With Kang Hyun-moo, Yazan, and Lucas added, it is difficult to find loopholes in offense and defense. There is no disagreement over Kang’s assessment of the move. On the other hand, Gimcheon and Pohang, which have built the “big three” with Ulsan, are on the decline until last month. Gimcheon has no win (one draw and two losses) in the recent three consecutive games, while Pohang has been mired in four consecutive losses. However, there is still a chance for a rebound.
Although the teams ranking first through sixth are breathtakingly close, they are quite far apart from the seventh-ranked Gwangju FC (37 points). If this continues, the group can be decided early on. If the current mood continues, the team will inevitably play in the Final B match. However, the team is relatively free from demotion.
A more brutal battlefield is just below that. There are only four points difference between the eighth-ranked Jeju United (32 points) and the 12th-ranked Incheon United (28 points). Daegu FC (30 points), Jeonbuk Hyundai (29 points), and Daejeon Hana Citizen (28 points) are also thin. Jeonbuk is no longer at the bottom, but it was a surprise variable. Last season, it miraculously revived and barely managed to break the 100 percent Final A record, but this year it was humiliated. The team started rebounding with two consecutive wins recently, but has effectively failed to advance to Final A. 먹튀검증
While Daegu with two consecutive wins and Daejeon with no losses for four consecutive matches (two wins and two draws) are on the upward trajectory, Jeju Island, which seemed to be far from being demoted, has plummeted to three consecutive losses, while Incheon is also on the decline to one win and four losses in its recent five matches. At this juncture, every race is the final. Teams are also facing extreme stress levels. Attention is focusing on the upcoming games of Ulsan-Pohang, Daegu-Incheon, Jeju-Gimcheon, Jeonbuk-Seoul, Daejeon-Gwangju, and Gangwon-Suwon FC this weekend.