Jeonbuk Hyundai shines with the most wins (9 times) in K League 1. However, this season 'last place' has fallen into an abyss that is not awkward. The bigger problem is that there is rarely a way out. Jeonbuk has been mired in a winless swamp (three draws and four losses) for seven consecutive games in the K League 1. Including the Korea Cup, the team has no win (three draws and five losses) in eight consecutive matches. In the last round, Kim Jin-soo was defeated 1-5 by FC Seoul amid bad news that he was sent off. It is the first time in seven years that Jeonbuk lost to Seoul since July 2017. The 21-game unbeaten Shinhwa (16 wins and 5 draws) was finally broken. This is the current state of Jeonbuk. Kim Doo-hyun, who was appointed as Jeonbuk's new head coach on May 27, has yet to report his first win.
Jeonbuk, which has nowhere to fall anymore, will be put back to a different test. Jeonbuk will play Daejeon Hana Citizen in the 21st round of 'Hana Bank K League 1 2024' at Daejeon World Cup Stadium at 7 p.m. on the 7th. Daejeon is ranked 11th, just above Jeonbuk. Jeonbuk has 16 points and Daejeon has 18 points. It's a six-point battle in the relegation zone. If Jeonbuk escapes from a long tunnel of darkness, it can escape from last place. On the other hand, if they lose to Daejeon, 'last place political situation' becomes more fixed. He also deviates from the chasing range and takes a step closer to direct relegation.
Daejeon, where head coach Hwang Sun-hong took the helm, also desperately needs a turnaround. After three consecutive unbeaten games (two wins and one draw), Daejeon has lost two consecutive games. Flares were fired to change the atmosphere. When the summer transfer market opened, Daejeon recruited Martha, Kim Moon-hwan, Chun Sung-hoon, Park Jung-in, and Kim Min-woo to improve their constitution across all field positions. Ahead of the match against Jeonbuk, head coach Hwang Sun-hong said, `There is no place to retreat anymore.' Head coach Kim Doo-hyun also stressed that `It is urgent to forget the pain quickly and find stability and do it.' Daejeon and Jeonbuk drew 1-1 in their first match of this season. After being promoted to the first division last year, Daejeon has one win and three draws against Jeonbuk.
The blood battle in the lead with 'Witong' is also interesting. Gimcheon Sangmu (39 points), Ulsan HD (38 points), and Pohang Steelers (37 points) are one point apart from each other. Depending on the result, the lead position can be changed again. Gimcheon and Ulsan will open this round. Gimcheon and Ulsan will face Incheon United and Suwon FC at 7:30 p.m. on the 5th, respectively. There is a reason for Gimcheon's rise to the lead. He has won three consecutive games despite the crossroads between 'late-year vacation' and 'new soldier input'. Incheon has a long slump. He has three draws and four losses in the last seven games. He is barely in ninth place (20 points), but if he fails to rebound, he will inevitably be caught in a whirlwind of relegation.
Ulsan lost 1-2 against Pohang in the last round, stopping its unbeaten streak in six games (4 wins and 2 draws). Players' line injuries are a concern, but they still have room. Suwon FC set the stage for another leap forward with two consecutive wins. He is currently in fifth place with 33 points. If they catch Ulsan, they can re-enter the battle for the lead. However, Ulsan is Suwon FC killer. Starting with a 3-0 win on Oct. 2, 2021, he is on a nine-game winning streak. While scoring as many as 24 goals in nine games, Joo Min-kyu scored in four consecutive games. The eyes are on Joo Min-gyu's toes again.
Pohang, which has caught Ulsan, will play an away game against Daegu at 7:30 p.m. on the 6th. Pohang is unbeaten in four consecutive games (2 wins and 2 draws), and Daegu, ranked 10th by falling behind Incheon in multiple points, has a heavy step with two consecutive losses. In the first meeting of this season, Pohang won 3-1.
FC Seoul, which has been on a steep rise with three consecutive wins with Jesse Lingard, will face Jeju United at the Jeju World Cup Stadium at 7 p.m. on the 6th. Seoul, which has raised its ranking to sixth place (27 points), still has a long way to go, but its eyes are on the top of the list. Attention is also focusing on the destructive power of Ronaldo Tavares, who scored his first K-League goal and help against Jeonbuk. Jeju (23 points), ranked eighth, has one win and four losses in its last five games.
Gangwon and Gwangju, which escaped back-to-back defeats in the last round, will clash at Gangneung Stadium at 7 p.m. on the 7th. Gangwon is currently ranked 4th (34 points) and Gwangju 7th (25 points).
