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| Ulsan Sports Complex/ K League1/ Ulsan HDFC vs. Gangwon FC/ Ulsan Resident Kyu, Kim Ki-hee/ Photo by Kim Jung-soo |
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| Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium/ K League1/ Ulsan HDFC vs FC Anyang/ Ulsan Kim Young-kwon |
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Ulsan HD, which became a 'scapegoat' in the first round, will try to win for the first time on the road.
Ulsan will play the second round of the 'Hana Bank K League 1 2025" against Daejeon Hana Citizen at Daejeon World Cup Stadium at 2 p.m. on the 23rd. There is a desperate need for a reversal. Ulsan lost 0-1 in the home opener against FC Anyang on the 16th.
Then, at 7 p.m. on the 19th, Shandong Taishan (China) was scheduled for the eighth game of the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) league stage in the 2024-2025 season, but it was canceled after two hours of kickoff on the day of the game.
Shandong abstained. The players said it was a `health reason' but it is argued that the recent political issue has affected them. In a recent home game against Gwangju, Shandong made a big splash by appearing 'Chun Doo-hwan Photo' which caricatures the pain of the May 18 Democratic Movement toward away fans. We can't erase the suspicion that Korean fans were worried about 'revenge' during the away game.
Ulsan failed to advance to the round of 16 in the ACLE, but it planned to refine its organization by raising the players' condition and confidence in the match against Shandong. However, as the game was unexpectedly canceled, I had time to recharge.
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| Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium/ K League1/ Ulsan HDFC vs FC Anyang/ Ulsan Coach Kim Pan-gon/Photo by Kim Jung-soo |
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Ulsan, which wrapped up its final match on the Asian stage, can only focus on K League 1 for the time being. One of the reasons why this game is interesting is to meet striker Joo Min-kyu, who was involved in Ulsan until last season. Joo Min-gyu was in charge of the front line by wearing Ulsan uniforms for a total of three seasons (2019, 2023, 2024). In particular, Ulsan helped protect the throne with a total of 27 goals and 6 assists in the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He quickly adapted to Daejeon by scoring multiple goals in the opening game against the Pohang Steelers on the 15th.
There is no mercy. I also put aside my old feelings for a while. Ulsan made every preparation to quell the gusts of Daejeon, including Joo Min-gyu, centering on its captain, Kim Young-kwon.
This season, Ulsan has a big change from the squad, which has been in operation for the last three consecutive seasons at the top of the league. All of the 11 starting lineup against Anyang were new players except Lee Chung-yong, Kim Young-kwon, and Kim Min-hyuk. The opening of the league was two weeks earlier than usual, so there was less time to work together. Nevertheless, the fact that veterans took the center stage in each position and the young players' mobility and speed were added showed some of the soccer style that Ulsan will pursue in the future.
Ulsan lost 0-2 away to Daejeon on April 2 last season, but won 4-1 at home on May 25. On September 27, the team won 1-0 in the enemy territory, leading the team with a 2-1 record. Kim Min-woo, Rubik'sson (2 goals), and Boyanich shook Daejeon's net. Ulsan has an advantage with 34 wins, 19 draws and 13 losses in its previous matches against Daejeon.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
