The “start of the dynasty” is the third consecutive victory. Ulsan HD is one step closer to that point.
Ulsan won the K-League 1 title for the first time in 17 years two years ago, and achieved its second consecutive win for the first time since its foundation last year. The team now has the magic number “1” to win for the third time in a row. The reason for the “1” is that the opponent team in the next match is Gangwon FC, which is ranked second. If Ulsan beats Gangwon, it will confirm its victory for this season regardless of the results of the remaining two matches.
Ulsan felt a sense of crisis before the whistle. It was mired in all three losses at the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE). On the previous day, Gangwon defeated Gimcheon Sangmu by a score of 1-0, allowing the team to overtake the latter. The gap between Ulsan and Gangwon was only one point. The team has surpassed the mark. Ulsan won 2-0 with the Pohang Steelers in the second round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 final held at Pohang Steel Yard on Sunday. Ulsan, which added three points, widened its gap with Gangwon (65 points) to four points. Ulsan will bring Gangwon home in the next round on November 1.
Pohang threw a game-winner in the second half but hit the ground due to massive unfavorable factors. Center back Lee Kyu-baek took the knee with the sole of his foot while blocking Lee at the sixth minute of the second half. The referee, who was watching the situation right in front of him, pulled out a direct red card. Pohang, which had no win (two draws and one loss) in three consecutive K-League matches, remained in the fifth place with 52 points, failing to regain its fourth place.
Ulsan’s national team Joo Min-kyu shook the net following Ko Seung-beom. It was an opportunity after the crisis. Pohang first took a decisive opportunity in the 31st minute of the first half. Jung Jae-hee’s cross was connected to Yoon Min-ho in the counterattack. Yoon Min-ho put his foot on it, but he couldn’t hit the ball properly, so it was caught by Cho Hyun-woo.
A minute later, Ulsan scored the finishing goal. Ko Seung-bum turned Rubik’s powerful cross to his left foot and shook the net. Joo Min-kyu scored the net at the 19th minute of the second half. He connected Boyanich’s sensational pass with a right footed shot, scoring the net. He had long silence over goals recently. The last time he scored a goal in his team’s uniform was against FC Seoul on July 13 (1-0 win). He scored his ninth goal in 106 days.
News of Joo Min-gyu’s goal has always been a hot topic. Even before the match, Ulsan coach Kim Pan-gon said, “Jo Min-gyu is the most difficult situation, but the sun will rise soon. I have no choice but to overcome it by myself. I hope my eyes are not focused on Joo Min-gyu.” The long wait is over. Joo Min-gyu scored his first goal under Kim Pan-gon. “All the players encouraged me when Joo Min-gyu was struggling for a long time. I was very sorry for him, but I am also very happy. The quality came out when I scored.”
“It was a very important game, but I felt good about winning,” said Joo Min-kyu, but his face did not look bright. When asked how he felt about dispelling the drought in goal, he said, “I didn’t feel so good. I still have a long way to go. Still, I feel that I have more leeway as I prepare for the next game.” 메이저사이트
Joo Min-kyu said, “I felt sorry for my teammates who devoted themselves and defended. If I had taken advantage of my chances, I think I would have earned more points in several games.” He also said to Kim, “It is my first goal since the coach came. I felt sorry. I will give joy to the coach, my teammates and fans by scoring goals that will bring three points in the remaining games.”
Joo was the top scorer in the K-League 1 in 2021 and 2023. His goal against Pohang was his ninth in the K-League 1 this season. He has three more games to play. It is not easy to become the top scorer for the third time in his career. He is six goals ahead of top scorer Mugosa (Incheon, 15 goals). Still, he can make double-digit goals for four consecutive seasons.