The candidates for the K-League 1 “Best Star” in the 2024 season have been revealed. Whoever wins the award, he will become the star of the “true record” that will remain in the history of the K-League.
The Professional Football Federation announced on the 20th that Cho Hyun-woo (33, Ulsan HD), Yang Min-hyuk (18, Gangwon FC), and Andersson (26, Suwon FC) were selected as candidates for the K League 1 Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) at the Hana Bank K League 2024 Awards.
The candidates were selected after each club submitted MVP candidates and the K-League’s individual award nomination committee. The winner will be decided through votes from coaches (30%), captains (30%), and media (40%), and the award ceremony will be held at the Grand Hotel in Switzerland on the 29th.
Cho Hyun-woo, who led Ulsan’s third consecutive K League 1 victory, will challenge for the second “goalkeeper MVP” in 16 years since Lee Woon-jae (then Suwon Samsung) in 2008.
During this season, Cho played in all K League 1 games (37 games as of Monday) and allowed 38 runs. He has 14 scoreless games (clean sheet), ranking second in the league after Kim Joon-hong (Jeonbuk Hyundai, 15 games). Depending on the result of the final round this weekend, Cho may tie for first in clean sheet.
He is considered a key player in Ulsan’s victory as he is the only champion in Ulsan to play in all games and has saved his team through decisive defense throughout the season. Notably, he was named the best 11 times in this season’s round 10 times, the most in the league.
In particular, the “winning premium” is the biggest weapon in challenging the MVP. In the 41-year history of the K-League, as many as 35 MVPs have been nominated by the winning team. The MVP has been awarded to the winning team for the past four consecutive seasons, including Lee Chung-yong in 2022 and Kim Young-kwon in 2023.
On top of that, Yang Min-hyuk also challenged himself to become the “best star.” Born in 2006, Yang is already the youngest candidate to be nominated for MVP. He will naturally rewrite the history of the K-League if he seeks MVP. He is also nominated for the Young Player Award, and will seek to win this season’s MVP and Young Player Award.
As such, his presence this season was extraordinary. He played in 37 games (36 starts) and scored 11 goals and 6 assists. Like Cho, he is the only player in the team to play in all games. It is all the more surprising considering that it is the debut season of a player who has not even graduated from high school.
He also became the youngest player to ever win the K-League Player of the Month award in July, becoming the youngest player to ever score double-digit goals in the K-League. He was selected as a member of the national team thanks to his outstanding performance, and his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur (England) was confirmed at the end of this season. Yang Min-hyuk has been spotlighted as the best K-League star throughout the season, and can receive high marks for being a young ace who has led Gangwon’s sensation.
Andersson from Brazil has recorded the most points (20, seven goals and 13 assists) in the K-League 1 this season. He is also No. 1 in the assists category. He is five times ahead of Kim Dae-won (Kim Cheon, Sangmu, eight), who is ranking second, and thus the title is definitive. 먹튀검증
Andersson also played a key role in Suwon FC’s offense by participating in all games this season. It played a key role in leading Suwon FC, which was pushed back to the promotion and playoff last season, to the Final A (top split). Despite the departure of its main players, it has accumulated attack points throughout the season.
If Andersson wins the MVP award, it will remain the first K League 1 MVP in Suwon FC history and the second case of receiving the MVP award from a team that is not a winning or second-place team since Jeong Jo-guk (Gwangju FC, 8th place) in 2016. Malkong (then Gyeongnam FC) was the last MVP of a foreign player in 2018.
Voting for MVP will end on Monday, the final day of the K League 1. Gangwon Province, which Yang Min-hyuk belongs to, is competing for the runner-up prize, while Suwon FC is competing for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, respectively. Whether the team will perform in the final match or not and its performance can have a decisive influence on the final votes.