This weekend, the East Coast area is heating up. It is heralding a fiercer lead fight in Pohang and Gangneung.
“Long-time bitter rivals” Pohang Steelers and Ulsan HD will play the 35th round (final 2R) of Hana Bank K League 1 2024 at Pohang Steelyard at 2 p.m. on the 27th. It is the fourth East Coast Derby of the season. With the “Super Match” between Seoul and Suwon suspended due to Suwon’s relegation from the second division, the “East Coast Derby” is the best box office matchup in the K League. Whenever we met properly, the atmosphere was hot. In the previous three face-to-face matches, the home team won, building the pride of the home fans. Ulsan won two and Pohang one. Ulsan won five to four after a all-time mud-slinging at its home on August 31, the most recent time.
The two teams are expected to engage in “blood fight” on the same day. There is a reason. Both teams lost in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) on Monday, suffering a deep loss due to their pride. Pohang lost 0-1 in an away match against Thailand’s Vissel Kobe on Tuesday, and Ulsan lost 0-2 at home on Sunday. Having lost face on the Asian stage, the two teams want to vent their anger in the East Coast derby. Three points are also essential in the race for rankings. Ulsan, which is leading the league with 62 points after 34 matches, is being closely chased by the second-ranked team. Pohang, which is ranking fourth with 52 points, is aiming to advance to the Asian Champions League. Furthermore, the two teams will play in the final match of the Korea Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium, a neutral venue, on March 30. If the team loses in the initial match, the winner’s cup passes to the opponent. The key to victory is how the two teams wisely deal with the absence or lack of front-line strikers and the absence of key right-backs (Pohang Shin Kwang-hoon, Ulsan Yoon Il-rok) due to accumulated warnings.
The match between Gangwon and Gimcheon, which will take place at Gangneung Sports Complex at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, will be held at 2 p.m., facing the East Coast Derby. The second-ranked Gangwon has 58 points and the third-ranked Gimcheon 57 points, respectively, pressing Ulsan by four and five points, respectively. It is too early to give up hope for a win. Depending on the outcome of this round, the gap between the first and second-ranked teams may be narrowed to one point and two points. If the team slips on the other hand, the gap widens to seven and eight points, which means that the team is poised to clinch the title. For this reason, the team must overcome the opponent team in front of it. Gangwon has recently won two consecutive games by beating Incheon (3-1 win) and Seoul (1-0 win). After three consecutive wins, the team has lost the last two games. However, given that its rivals were all the leaders in Ulsan, it cannot be concluded that Gimcheon’s spirit has been dampened. Gangwon lost only twice at home this year, and the team that has won one of its losses is Gimcheon. Gangwon and Gimcheon are both pursuits and fugitives. They are being chased by not only Pohang, but also Seoul, which ranks fifth and Suwon FC, which ranks sixth, with 50 points. Seoul and Suwon FC fight for their last hope of advancing to Asia at Suwon Sports Complex at 4:30 p.m. on the same day. 안전놀이터
Survival battles are also expected to intensify across the nation. Daejeon and Daegu will clash at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Daegu, which is ranked ninth, which is the last remaining line, has 39 points, and Daejeon, which is ranked 10th, has 38 points, which is only one point difference. The result of the six-point match could widen the gap or the ranking could be reversed. Not a single mistake seems to be tolerated. Jeonbuk (38 points), which is ranked 11th, is also two points behind Daegu, which is poised to escape from the relegation zone. However, it can only escape if it wins the match against Jeju (44 points), which is ranked eighth, which will take place at the Jeju World Cup Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on the same day. We wonder what strategy Jeonbuk coach Kim Doo-hyun, who is the first-year K-League coach, will take in a strategic showdown with veteran Jeju coach Kim Hak-beom, who has more than 30 years of experience as a leader. Incheon (32 points), which is at the bottom of the list, needs a “miracle” to avoid direct demotion, will invite Gwangju (44 points) ranked seventh at the same time. Gwangju and Jeju can effectively confirm their remaining status if they win this round.