2024 is a season in which the joys and sorrows of Ulsan HD and Jeonbuk Hyundai, which “double-handed” the professional soccer match, are sharply divided.
Ulsan overcame unfavorable factors such as the transfer and injury of its main players and the change of coach to achieve its third consecutive K League 1 victory.
Ulsan, which had a cool start with two consecutive wins in the opening and five consecutive wins in the 6th to 10th rounds, has slowed down due to the recurrence of chronic defensive instability since the end of June.
In the meantime, right fullback Seol Young-woo moved to the European stage Tsurvena Zvezda (Serbia) in June, and before that, Lee Dong-kyung left for Gimcheon Sangmu in April, causing a leak in Ulsan Electric Power Co.
On July 7, coach Hong Myung-bo moved to the head of the national soccer team amid controversy.
Coach Hong, who took charge of Ulsan in 2021 and led the runner-up in the first season, completed Ulsan’s “reconstruction of the famous family” by winning two consecutive K League 1 titles in 2022 and 2023.
The return of the baton by the person concerned who devised the “three-game losing streak plan” was clearly a big crisis for Ulsan. In fact, Ulsan had slumped to one win and three losses in the four games that coach Hong played after his departure, and fell to fourth place.
On top of that, main winger Um Won-sang has been excluded from the lineup since September due to a sports hernia, and Joo Min-kyu, who won last year’s top scorer, has not been able to quench his thirst for goals for three months since July.
Fortunately, Kim Pan-gon, who took the helm as Hong’s replacement, quickly returned Ulsan to its winning trajectory.
It stimulated veteran players who experienced the potential of their second consecutive K League 1 loss by distributing opportunities to backup resources evenly.
Coach Kim Pan-gon, who emphasized “offensive defense,” showed his trust in the players immediately.
He tasted his first consecutive win in the 28th and 29th rounds against Gwangju FC and Pohang Steelers, and won 2-0 in the 30th round against “Nemesis” Gangwon FC, enjoying three consecutive wins and the joy of retaking the top spot.
He then defeated Gangwon 2-1 in the 36th round on November 1 to confirm the championship.
Ulsan is said to have announced the beginning of the “dynasties” with this three consecutive losses, but one side predicts that it will be difficult to lose four consecutive games because the main players are too old to rebuild.
Ulsan has to play a busier schedule than ever, including participating in the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.
It is no exaggeration to say that the fate of the newborn “Dynasties Ulsan” depends on how quickly and effectively it moves in the winter transfer market.
Unlike Ulsan, Jeonbuk, which was once considered the “absolute first place” as the most nine-time K League 1 winning club, was disgraced by falling to 10th place, the relegation zone.
He managed to stay by winning the K League 2 playoff against Seoul E-Land, but disappointed fans by falling into a long tunnel of sluggishness, falling to the Final B for the first time.
Jeonbuk’s fall, which neglected rebuilding in the 2020s and went downhill after failing to recruit players, has great implications for Ulsan.
Jeonbuk is also at a time when a turnaround is inevitable. Like Ulsan, it is expected to take active steps in the winter transfer market.
Determining Kim Doo-hyun’s future is a prerequisite for Jeonbuk.
It is certain that the ‘gwa’ failed to prevent the drop in the relegation zone.
However, as a first-time head coach, there are many voices that the “ball” that took over during the season and led the team with difficulty while avoiding the worst situation of relegation should also be taken into account.
Daejeon Hana Citizen, which finished the regular league 11th after Jeonbuk, won the promotion PO with Asan, Chungnam, and succeeded in staying, while Incheon remained at the bottom of the regular league and became the only relegation club. 바카라사이트
Incheon only launched Choi Young-geun’s system after nearly a month of wasting time as an agent after Cho Sung-hwan stepped down due to poor performance in July.
Incheon, which did not show any active movement in the summer transfer market, failed to rebound throughout the second half, and suffered the bitter taste of the team’s first relegation.