This season’s K-League 1 championship competition could be determined in the first match of the final round. Ulsan HD, which is trying to overcome the championship’s eighth-division ridge, will not give up its dream of becoming the champion and will play with runner-up Kimcheon Sangmu, who trails by five points.
Ulsan and Gimcheon will play the 34th round of Hana Bank’s K League 1 2024 at Gimcheon Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on the 19th.
After the 33rd round, the K-League 1 entered the final round by dividing the top six teams and the bottom six teams, and the showdown between the two teams is the matchup that can be seen the most in this 34th round. Depending on the result of this one match, the competition for championship may become fiercer or it may end blandly.
Ulsan, which won the K League 1 championship in 2022 and 2023, has 18 wins, 7 draws and 8 losses (61 points) this season, leading the second-place Gimcheon (56 points) by five points.
In particular, Ulsan gained momentum from its third consecutive challenge as it came from behind to win 2-1 against Gimcheon on the 6th. On top of that, it has been on a steep upward trajectory with five wins and one draw in six games since the match against Gwangju FC on August 25.
Ulsan is committed to grabbing Gimcheon again, which it met in two weeks, and effectively shooting a winning shot. If Ulsan wins the match, it will be difficult for Gimcheon to overturn this trend in the remaining four games, as it would be up to the second place and eight points difference.
Being strong in Gimcheon instills a lot of confidence in the Tigers. Ulsan has been dominant with four wins and two ties with a total of six meetings since the Sangmu Football Team moved to Gimcheon in 2021.
Ulsan coach Kim Pan-gon said, “I will do my best to maintain the crown,” adding, “I will win the match against Gimcheon and lay the foundation for the championship.”
Gimcheon, which suffered from a lack of hindsight in a six-point game two weeks ago, said it would not miss the “last chance” this time, renewing its commitment to win. If Gimcheon breaks the Ulsan jinx, it can narrow down the distance to two points and continue its competition to the end.
Since Ulsan, which has to play the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League elite at the same time, may struggle physically, Gimcheon can fully overcome the upset win in the remaining four games if it catches Ulsan.
Gimcheon defender Kim Min-deok said, “A soldier goes out to win every game. I will do my best in the remaining five games and try to win the come-from-behind victory.” 스포츠토토
Third place Gangwon FC (55 points) is paying keen attention to the result of the showdown between Ulsan and Gimcheon. If Gimcheon takes over Ulsan and Gangwon beats FC Seoul at Gangneung Stadium on Tuesday, the competition could escalate into a three-way race. Gangwon, which has not given up on its dream of winning the championship, will play Gimcheon on Wednesday and Ulsan on Nov. 1.