There are two rounds left until the split junction. However, the drawing has already been completed. The fate of the split has been decided early on. Final A will have Ulsan HD with 55 points, Gimcheon Sangmu with 53 points, Gangwon FC with 51 points, Suwon FC with 48 points, Pohang Steelers and FC Seoul with 47 points. Gwangju FC (40 points), Jeju United with 38 points, Daejeon Hana Citizen with 35 points, Jeonbuk Hyundai, Daegu FC with 34 points, and Incheon United with 32 points are Final B. In Final A, the winner and the Asian Champions League (ACLE and ACL2) ticket war will take place. Final B is a battle for survival. The bottom 12th place will be directly demoted to the second division, while the 10th and 11th places will be determined to remain through the promotion and playoffs.
K League 1 will play five more rounds after the 33rd round on March 6. The final battle begins from Round 32. Ulsan, the leader of the K League, and Daejeon, the ninth-ranked team, which aims to win the title for the third consecutive year, will open its doors for the first time. The two teams will face off at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium. The dismal Daejeon match has emerged from the “worst.” It has been undefeated in seven consecutive matches (four wins and three draws). However, we cannot rest assured yet. The gap between the two teams and Incheon is only three points. Korea cannot afford to win. Korea can only survive if it accumulates points one by one.
Ulsan had won three consecutive games and tied Incheon FC without a goal in the last round. It constantly aimed at the opponent team’s goal by making 14 attempts, but failed to finish the game. The silence of the national team’s “killer” Joo Min-kyu is especially worrisome. He scored a goal in two consecutive A matches in September, but there has been no goal since the match against FC Seoul FC (1-0 win) on July 13. Ulsan coach Kim Pan-gon said, “He is a good goal scorer. I hope he shakes off the ball quickly. As a person, he seems to be under pressure psychologically, but I hope he overcomes it quickly.” Joo said, “I know I am disappointed in my scoring pace. Currently, I only have to look back on my performance and do my best. I thank my fans for their support and apologize.” He is the top scorer in the K-League 1 in 2021 and last year. He has scored eight goals in single digits this season, which does not match his name. Ulsan can also maintain its lead only when Joo Min-gyu hits the ball.
At the same time, Pohang and Incheon will face off each other at Pohang Steel Yard. Pohang has escaped from a six-game losing streak by beating Gangwon Province 2-1 with Giorgi’s theatrical goal in the last round. As it is in the final round of the Korea Cup, there are many ways to win a ticket to the ACL. However, the Korea Cup winners must rank within the top four in the league to participate in the ACLE, the top-ranked team. For this reason, Pohang needs to upgrade its ranking further. Incheon, which has a long way to go, has come a time to prove its potential as the “survival king.” However, it cannot survive with one win, one draw and three losses in the recent five matches. Pohang has recorded one win and one draw against Incheon twice this season. 먹튀검증
Gangwon, which had created a sensation by ranking first, will invite Daegu to Gangneung Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. The team desperately needs a reversal. It had enjoyed four consecutive wins and became the first team player to have a dream of winning, but has been mired in no wins (one draw and three draws) for four consecutive games. Lee Sang-hun (10 goals) and Yang Min-hyuk (9 goals) have scored the most goals (54) among the 12 teams, while ranking second (48) in the most goals lost. After all, it is imperative to find stability in defense. Daegu lost to Gangwon 0-3 and 1-2 this season. Still, Cesinha remains strong in offense, and Kaio, who is at the center back, is also outstanding. Every game is the final for Daegu, which seeks to escape from the relegation zone.