Ulsan HD defeated Daejeon Hana Citizen and escaped from the swamp of two consecutive losses.
Ulsan beat Daejeon 4-1 in the 14th round home game of “Hana Bank K League 1 2024” at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on the 25th.
As a result, Ulsan took the lead in the league with eight wins, three draws and three losses (27 points), beating Gimcheon and Pohang (26 points).
Ulsan Pushes 10 People to Daejeon
Ulsan took out a 3-4-3 formation. With Kim Min-woo, Joo Min-kyu, and Um Won-sang in front, Rubik’sson, Boyanich, Ko Seung-beom, and Choi Kang-min took charge of the midfield. Lee Myung-jae, Kim Young-kwon, and Kim Ki-hee were in the defense, and Cho Hyun-woo kept the goal.
In Daejeon, Leandro-Yoon Do-young was on the two-top at 3-5-2, while Park Jin-sung, Lee Jun-kyu, Lee Soon-min, Bae Seo-joon and Kang Yoon-sung were in charge of the waist. Back three was Anton, Kim Hyun-woo and Lee Jung-taek, and goalkeeper gloves were worn by Lee Chang-geun.
In the first half, Ulsan played a one-sided game with a shooting number of 12-0. Ulsan, which took the lead with the shots of Ko Seung-bum and Joo Min-kyu as soon as it started, had a big advantage in the midfield battle. In the 32nd minute of the first half, Kim Min-woo’s shot hit the net.
However, the first goal was scored by Ulsan in the 35th minute of the first half. Kim Young-kwon connected Bojanic’s free kick with a shot, but it came out as he was hit by Lee Soon-min. At the time, Kim Min-woo showed his tenacity and pushed it with his left foot in a chaotic situation at the gate.
Daejeon, which was one goal behind, faced the worst bad news, making it worse. Anton made a rough tackle on Um Won-sang in the extra time of the first half. The referee took out a yellow card but declared a direct exit after VAR.
Ulsan, which entered the second half with its numerical advantage, unilaterally hit Daejeon’s goalpost. At the start of the second half, Daejeon deployed Park Joon-seo and Lim Deok-geun instead of Lee Soon-min and Kang Yoon-sung to counter Ulsan’s attack. Daejeon endured through a super save by goalkeeper Lee Chang-geun in every crisis.
But Ulsan’s extra goal came in the 19th minute. Rubik’sson, who received a sensible penetration pass from Ataru, made a right-footed shot into the left side of the penalty box.
Daejeon also chased 1-2 in the 24th minute of the second half when Lim Deok-geun connected Leandro’s cross from the right with a right-footed volley.
Rubik’s Son was the one who frustrated Daejeon once again. At the 30th minute in the second half, he placed a defender in front of him from the left side of the box and slotted a right-footed shot into the opposite goal. It was the decisive goal that determined the winner.
In the 41st minute of the second half, Joo Min-gyu handled the penalty kick obtained by Kim Hyun-woo’s foul, but it was blocked by Lee Chang-geun. It was in the 47th minute of extra time in the second half that the penalty kick was missed. When Yoon Il-rok’s shot from the right side hit the post, Joo Min-gyu shook the net with a header to end the game.
Ulsan breaks Daejeon jinx and escapes sluggishness
Ulsan, which won the 2022 and 2023 seasons and achieved its first two consecutive losses in the club’s history, was also considered the top favorite this season.
However, with Pohang and Gimcheon making rapid progress combined with Ulsan’s sluggish performance, the K-League is in a mixed mood this season. Ulsan had established the solo system for the first two consecutive seasons. In contrast, the team faltered this year, falling short of expectations in both content and results.
Ulsan, which recently tied with Gimcheon and fell to third place after losing two consecutive games against Gwangju-Gangwon, needed a turnaround. Above all, Daejeon, which will face off in the 14th round, is a representative Ulsan’s natural enemy.
Since Daejeon was promoted to the top division in 2023, Ulsan has had only two draws and two losses in four face-to-face confrontations. In the first half of last season, the team lost to Daejeon 1-2 and failed to challenge for seven consecutive wins, 스포츠토토 the most since the opening of the K-League. Since then, they have drawn in both meetings.
Ulsan also lost its first match of this season in the match against Daejeon (0-2 loss) held on April 2. However, the team lost in five matches due to coach Lee Min-seong’s resignation. It is the first time in eight years and six months since its victory on November 7, 2015.
Rubik’s Son is the best player to win the match. He scored multiple goals through robust activities and breakthrough shots. Kim Min-woo relieved the burden by scoring his first goal after moving to Ulsan this season.
Another achievement is the revival of goaltender Joo Min-gyu. Since the match against Gangwon on April 13, he has scored no goals in eight consecutive official tournaments. Making his debut for the Korean national team in an A match in March, Joo has since been in a severe slump, which has been directly linked to Ulsan’s sluggishness. The fact that the strikers scored goals at the same time is a positive sign for Ulsan, which jumped to No. 1 on the day.