'Crazy competition for the relegation zone' Also in the lower ranks, Daegu 9th place X Jeonbuk 10th place Jump → Incheon 11th place Fall

Aug 24, 2024

photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association

The lower ranks fluctuated again. Daegu FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai both won two consecutive games and smiled broadly. Incheon United, on the other hand, has been in danger with two consecutive losses.

Jeonbuk Hyundai, led by head coach Kim Doo-hyun, won 1-0 against Incheon United in the away game of 'Hana Bank K League 1 2024' at Incheon Football Stadium on the 24th. Jeonbuk (7 wins, 8 draws and 13 losses) jumped to 10th place with two consecutive wins. On the other hand, Incheon (6 wins, 10 draws, 12 losses) fell to 11th place with two consecutive losses.

It was a so-called six-point game. Incheon and Jeonbuk desperately needed to escape the relegation zone. Before the match, Incheon (28 points), Daegu FC, Daejeon Hana Citizen (27 points or more), and Jeonbuk (26 points) were ranked 10th to 12th. This season, the 12th-ranked team in the K League 1 will be demoted to the K League 2 (division 2). The 11th-ranked team in the K League 1 will decide its fate by playing the second-ranked team in the K League 2, and the 10th-ranked team in the K League 2 with the winner of the playoff (PO) between the 3rd and 5th places in the K League.

Jeonbuk had a 4-4-2 formation. Thiago and Lee Young-jae led the attack. Hernandez, Kim Jin-kyu, Han Kook-young, and Andriigo coordinated the midfield. Kim Tae-hyun, Hong Jung-ho, Park Jin-seop, and Ahn Hyun-beom were in charge of defense. The goalkeeper's gloves were worn by Kim Jun-hong.

Incheon utilized a 4-2-3-1 tactic. Mugosa stepped up as the front-line striker. Gerson, Kim Do-hyuk and Kim Sung-min helped from behind. Shin Jin-ho and Lee Myung-joo joined hands as defensive midfielders. Choi Woo-jin, Kim Gun-hee, Yonichi, and Jung Dong-yoon participated in the four-back. Min Sung-joon defended the goal.

photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association

In the beginning, Incheon was good. At the start of the game, Kim Do-hyuk fired a powerful mid-range shot. Jeonbuk goalkeeper Kim Jun-hong overcame the crisis with a good defense. Jeonbuk has launched a counterattack. It shook Incheon's net in the 7th minute of the first half. Kim Jin-kyu completed the ball that Hernandez struggled to save in a mixed situation at the gate. Jeonbuk led 1-0. There was a fierce battle between the two teams. Incheon's Kim Do-hyuk, Lee Myung-joo and Gerson shot consecutively. However, Jeonbuk's goal was not opened. Jeonbuk closed the first half with a 1-0 lead.

At the start of the second half, both teams took out replacement cards. Song Min-gyu was replaced by Hernandez in Jeonbuk and Kim Bo-seop was replaced by Kim Sung-min in Incheon. The tense fight continued. Jeonbuk once again used a replacement card. Instead of Lee Young-jae and Andrigo, Lee Seung-woo and Kwon Chang-hoon stepped up.

The game got more and more intense. Park Jin-seop also injured his face during the aerial ball competition. Incheon shook Jeonbuk's net amid a tight match. In the 40th minute of the second half, Kim Gun-hee's header goal came out in a free kick situation. However, it was ruled offside and the score was canceled.

Jeonbuk, which overcame the crisis, began to protect Park Chang-woo instead of Ahn Hyun-beom. The extra time in the second half was a whopping 10 minutes. Incheon took the lead in the game. Lee Myung-joo, Kim Bo-seop, Shin Jin-ho, and Moon Ji-hwan, Kim Dong-min, and Min Kyung-hyun were put in at the same time. Jeonbuk also put Gu Ja-yong in place of Song Min-gyu to counter it. Incheon left a regret as Park Seung-ho's shot missed at the end of the game. Jeonbuk caught Incheon on the road and jumped to 10th place.

photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association

Meanwhile, Daegu beat the Pohang Steelers 2-1 earlier in Pohang Steelyard. Daegu jumped to ninth place with two consecutive wins. Daegu completed Cesinha's cross with a header goal at the end of the first half. Daegu widened the gap in the fourth minute of the second half with Hwang Jae-won's powerful mid-range shot. Pohang did not back down. In the 26th minute of the second half, Baek Sung-dong scored with Lee Tae-seok's pass. Pohang went on a fierce chase. Daegu secured the victory by tying goalkeeper Oh Seung-hoon's defense to the hand-to-hand defense. Pohang was disappointed that Baek Sung-dong's shot missed just before the end of the game. Pohang, which was once leading, lost four consecutive games.

epi17@sportschosun.com

'Crazy competition for the relegation zone' Also in the lower ranks, Daegu 9th place X Jeonbuk 10th place Jump → Incheon 11th place Fall

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