It is no exaggeration to say that this season’s professional soccer K-League 1 is ‘Ulsan Hyundai World’. I just finished the first round robin and finished the first game of the second round robin, but I can’t see a gap.
Ulsan won 1-0 in the home game against Gangwon FC in the 12th round of the ‘Hanawon Q K League 1 2023’, which ended at Ulsan Munsu Stadium on the 9th, with Joo Min-gyu’s penalty kick winning goal in the 6th minute of the second half. Ulsan has been undefeated in 25 consecutive matches (21 wins and 4 draws) against Gangwon since July 15, 2021. This time, while showing off their ‘nemesis’ momentum, they recorded 10 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss (31 points), solidifying their lead in the league.
After the start of this season,카지노사이트 after 12 games, they were the first to record a double-digit multiplier in the first and second divisions and broke the 30 point mark.
Jeonbuk Hyundai in 2015. offer | Korea Professional Football Federation
‘Pleasant history’ makes Ulsan laugh more. Since 2014, when the promotion and relegation system was implemented, 12 teams have established themselves in the first division, and only Jeonbuk Hyundai has scored more than 30 points in 12 games since the opening. twice in 2015 and 2018. Unfortunately, both times were 10 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, 31 points, the same as the current Ulsan. And they all won championships that year. Jeonbuk reached the top in 2015 with 73 points (22 wins, 7 draws and 9 losses), and in 2018 with 86 points (26 wins, 8 draws and 4 losses), the highest ever in the K-League Division 1.
offer | Korea Professional Football Federation
What is noteworthy is that the team that was running second at the time did not give up its place and all took second place. Until the 12th round of 2015, Suwon Samsung was in second place with 21 points, 10 points behind Jeonbuk, and finally finished runner-up with 67 points. In 2018, by the 12th round, Gyeongnam FC was ranked second with 21 points, 10 points behind Jeonbuk. And that year, they finished runner-up with 65 points. Currently, Ulsan has an 8-point gap with second-place FC Seoul (23 points). It is similar to the difference in points between Jeonbuk and the second-place team in 2015 and 2018.
The goal difference is similar. As of the end of round 12, Jeonbuk scored 19 goals and 8 runs in 2015 and 23 goals and 5 runs in 2018, respectively. All of them were first in the league for the most goals and the least goals allowed. Currently, Ulsan is recording 23 goals and 9 runs. It is the 2nd most scored in the league (25 goals in Seoul, 1st place) and 1st in the least goals. In particular, the loss is the only single digit among 12 teams.
There is no scientific basis that similar history will repeat itself, but soccer is a sport of flow. Jeonbuk’s records at the time came from the era of the ‘absolute dynasty’.
After taking over as manager Hong Myung-bo in 2021, Ulsan, who had patience and went through a transitional period, obtained the third K-League championship trophy of their dreams after 17 years last year. In the first year of his appointment, coach Hong worked hard to build the most important defensive organization and color the build-up he was aiming for. Through flexible communication with veterans such as Lee Chung-yong and young players who are ‘son-aged’, he tried to solve the psychological problems that hindered the championship challenge, such as ‘runner-up jinx’ and ‘Jeonbuk jinx’. Finally, seeing the results of winning last year by beating Jeonbuk, the trust between the players and coaches was formed.
It is the driving force that shows off the upgraded soccer even when the opponent is checked as a ‘defending champ’. First of all, as evidenced by the indicator of being the number one conceded, the defense is strong, so you can aim for aggressive soccer. Not only veteran Kim Young-kwon and captain Jung Seung-hyun, but also any center backs such as Kim Ki-hee and Lim Jong-eun lead the defensive tactics coach Hong is aiming for. The fullbacks, consisting of Lee Myung-jae, Cho Hyun-taek, Seol Young-woo, and Kim Tae-hwan, show their power in various positions according to their characteristics. Park Yong-woo and Lee Kyu-seong in the third line do not receive a flashy spotlight, but they are attracting attention from the soccer team coach Jurgen Klinsmann for their perfect coordination of offense and defense.
Naturally, the offensive team is showing their skills in the opposing camp, relieving the burden of defense. Ulsan ranks first in all major attack indicators, such as pass success (6270), attack area pass (1255), central area pass (3540), and pressure relief (46). Scorers such as Joo Min-gyu (6 goals) and Rubikson (5 goals) also increased compared to before. Like the Gangwon game, he struggles against the opponent’s choking defense and customized defense, but he knows how to play ‘games that get results’. Jokers such as Lee Chung-yong and Bako, who play the role of ‘game changers’, are also at the highest level in the league.
This situation makes us look back on the present of Ulsan while tracing the history of Jeonbuk in 2015 and 2018. This is the reason why there is a common voice that it can be the starting point for building the ‘Ulsan Dynasty’. Ulsan will face Seoul for 1st and 2nd place on the 15th at 2:00 pm at Ulsan Munsu Stadium.