 |
| Pohang Steel Yard/ K League1/ Pohang Steelers vs Ulsan HDFC/ Pohang Hong Yoon-sang scoring/ goal celebration/ photo Kim Jung-soo |
|
 |
| Pohang Steel Yard/ K League1/ Pohang Steelers vs Ulsan HDFC/ Pohang Lee Ho-jae Scoring/ Goal Ceremony/ Photo by Kim Jung-soo |
|
 |
| Pohang Steel Yard/ K League1/ Pohang Steelers vs. Ulsan HDFC/ Go Seung-bum scoring/ goal celebration/ photo Kim Jung-soo |
|
"I think the physical part can affect the game. Lee Ho-jae, Hong Yoon-sang, and Heo Yong-joon in front are in good condition. I think the score will come out."
Pohang Steelers coach Park Tae-ha's expectations worked. One minute and 39 seconds into the game, Hong Yun-sang opened the goal. In the 19th minute of the first half, Lee Ho-jae scored an additional goal. Pohang fans sang Ulsan's trademark song "Goodbye" in the 21st minute of the first half.
It was full of excitement. Pohang laughed. Pohang won 2-1 in the 20th round of the 'Hana Bank K League 1 2024' against Ulsan at Pohang Steelyard on the 30th. The battle for the top spot has fluctuated once again.
Gimcheon Sangmu defeated Daegu FC 2-0 in the 20th round, which was played one day earlier on the 29th, and rose back to the lead. There are 39 points. Ulsan failed to regain the lead. He remained in second place with 38 points. Pohang, ranked third, added three points to 37 points, narrowing the gap with Ulsan to one point. It is also within two points of Gimcheon.
Pohang succeeded in avenging itself. Pohang had two draws and two losses against Ulsan last year, failing to win a single game. In the opening match of this season, he also allowed Ataru to score the winning goal and lost 0-1.
 |
| Pohang Steel Yard/ K-League1/ Pohang Steelers vs Ulsan HDFC/ Pohang Coach Park Tae-ha/ Photo Kim Jae-hoon |
|
 |
| Pohang Steel Yard/ K League1/ Pohang Steelers vs Ulsan HDFC/ Ulsan Coach Hong Myung-bo/ Coupang Play Copple Pick/ Interview/ Photo by Kim Jae-hoon |
|
Coach Park took out a 4-4-2 card. Heo Yong-joon and Lee Ho-jae led the attack on the front line. Kim In-sung Han Chan-hee and Auberdan Hong Yoon-sang were paired in the midfield. Wandelson, former Minkwang Lee Dong-hee and Shin Kwang-hoon were located in Four Back. Hwang In-jae defended the goal.
Coach Hong countered with a 3-5-2 system. With Joo Min-woo, Ko Seung-beom, Lee Kyu-sung, Ataru Yoon Il-rok lined up in midfield, with Joo Min-kyu and Kang Yoon-gu on the two-top. Kim Ki-hee and Kang Min-woo breathed in the three-back. Cho Hyun-woo wore goalkeeper gloves.
Ulsan coach Hong Myung-bo said "It is not easy for the players to recover" but "I feel that the players who overcome and win points are great, even though their performance is not good, and there are times when it is difficult."
 |
| Pohang Steel Yard/ K League1/ Pohang Steelers vs Ulsan HDFC/ Ulsan Boyanich, Pohang Heo Yong-joon/ Competition/ Photo Kim Jung-soo |
|
 |
| Pohang Steel Yard/ K League1/ Pohang Steelers vs Ulsan HDFC/ Pohang Heo Yong-joon, Ulsan Kim Ki-hee/ Mutual greeting/ photo Kim Jae-hoon |
|
Pohang predicted a 'strong offensive', and the balance was broken at the start. Hong Yoon-sang connected Kim In-sung's cross with a right-footed direct shot to break the net. Pohang, which gained momentum, took the lead with a quick left-right turn.
In Ulsan, Ko Seung-beom took the opportunity in the 8th minute of the first half. Joo Min-kyu, who received Kang Yoon-gu's pass, spilled the ball into the gap, and Ko Seung-beom touched it, but he was caught in the tackle of the opponent's defense. There was another variable in the 14th minute of the first half. Kim Ki-hee's ball was unintentionally hit in the hand while competing for an aerial ball with Heo Yong-joon. The referee declared a penalty after a 'on-field review' following VAR. Lee Ho-jae was a kicker in the 19th minute of the first half and scored a clean goal.
Ulsan rarely saw a way out. But it wasn't a team that would collapse like this. A comeback goal was scored in the 24th minute of the first half. Ko Seung-beom scored the goal with a fantastic kick from a free kick obtained by Joo Min-kyu. It is Ko Seung-beom's first goal, which has been nestled in Ulsan this season.
 |
| Pohang Steel Yard/ K League1/ Pohang Steelers vs Ulsan HDFC/ Pohang Hong Yoon-sang, Ulsan Kim Min-woo/ contest/ photo Kim Jae-hoon |
|
As Ulsan reorganized its battle lines, a battle continued. The two team's gatekeepers' good defense was remarkable. Cho Hyun-woo defended Wandelson's left footed shot in the 36th minute of the first half. Hwang In-jae also blocked Kim Min-woo's shot in the 41st minute of the first half. In the first half's extra time, Ataru's header was blown away and blocked.
There was a change at half-time. Instead of Han Chan-hee and Kim In-sung, coach Park put in Eo Jeong-won Jung-hee, and Hong put in Um Won-sang and Boyanich without Kang Yoon-gu and Kang Min-woo. Ulsan converted to a four-back for the equalizer.
In the 14th minute of the second half, Um Won-sang broke down the defense line with his brilliant movement and connected it with a right-footed shot, but he was again blocked by Hwang In-jae's good defense. Joo Min-gyu's turning shot was in front of the goalkeeper.
In the 21st minute of the second half, the coaches of the two teams made another change as if they had promised. Coach Park chose Jorge and Hong chose Jang Si-young. Heo Yong-joon and Ataru were out. Coach Park took out Baek Sung-dong's card in the 30th minute of the second half. Kelvin and Hong Jae-seok were deployed in Ulsan, and Kim Dong-jin was also called in Pohang.
However, neither Pohang nor Ulsan opened the goal anymore. Pohang Steelyard once again received a wave of songs, "'Goodbye.'"
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
