Pohang, which proved its rivalry, Ulsan, which showed off its potential as a ‘defending champion’… I look forward to meeting in July more
Ulsan Hyundai and Pohang Steelers are the biggest rivals in the K-League. The two teams have ‘compatibility’ (different temperaments) that is not easy to express, and it is an impression that Pohang is slightly ahead. In terms of power, Ulsan, which has been sparing no investment for several years, looks strong, but that is not necessarily the case.
Pohang succeeded in winning the come-from-behind championship in 2013, and in 2019, snatched the tail of Ulsan, which was right in front of the summit, and presented the trophy to Jeonbuk Hyundai. Pohang is always full of a clear sense of rivalry, “I can’t watch Ulsan smile.”카지노
Since 2021, when coach Hong Myung-bo took office, Ulsan has been slightly ahead of Pohang in the K-League with 3 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses, but the two teams, who have always fought fiercely, played the 8th round of’Hana One Q K League 1 2023’ held at Ulsan Munsu Stadium on the 22nd. , and produced a great match in the 174th ‘East Coast Derby’ in total.
Just in time, it was a match for 1st and 2nd place. Ulsan was caught by Daejeon Hana Citizen after winning 6 consecutive wins, but was still in first place, and Pohang, the only undefeated team (4 wins, 3 draws), was the ‘chaser’.
No one laughed at the first meeting of the season. In the 96 minutes until extra time, they exchanged two goals each and shared one point. Pohang continued their undefeated march, but on the same day, Suwon Samsung was defeated 3-1 at home, and FC Seoul lost second place and fell to third place.
Still, Pohang was impressive. Pohang’s proud under-22 (U-22) card Ko Young-jun led the trend. Coach Hong said, “It seems that the opponent has set up a strategy to see the game through substitution in the second half. We will also make appropriate changes,” but Pohang was caught off guard.
Director Kim Ki-dong’s promise to “make Ulsan suffer a lot” led to a counter-fire in the beginning, and it bore fruit in the 13th minute of the first half. After receiving the ball from left full-back Shim Sang-min, Ko Young-jun broke through the offside trap and split Ulsan’s goal net. Ko Young-jun was not satisfied with this. In the 9th minute of the second half, he received a pass from Zeca and scored an additional goal with a right-footed shot from the arc area. Koh Young-joon, who reported the 3rd and 4th goals of the season, said, “There is a strong perception that we must not lose to Ulsan. We are especially mentally strong,” he explained.
However, the defending champion could never accept a losing streak. In the 15th minute of the second half, Joo Min-gyu scored his 121st personal career (Season 4) goal from a corner kick, and Bako broke the long silence and scored the equalizer in the 44th minute of the second half. Coach Hong, who praised, saying, “The Bakko we knew is back,” was satisfied that “the tenacity that did not give up made it a draw.” Ulsan once again demonstrated the ability necessary for a winning team to draw a game to lose and overturn a game to be drawn.
