The top and bottom are similar as if they were two teams. Gangwon FC, which ranks first, and Ulsan HD, which ranks second, have 15 wins, six draws and eight losses, with 51 points. Jeonbuk Hyundai, which ranks 11th, and Daegu FC, which ranks 12th, have seven wins, nine draws and 13 losses, respectively, with 30 points. The rankings have been divided in terms of multiple points.
The all-time high ranking competition is nothing new. Nevertheless, acrobatic flights every round are still unfamiliar. Hasty expectations on the ice have also been banned. For example, nobody knew the Pohang Steelers, which had been in the lead, would lose for the fifth straight time. Park Tae-ha, Pohang coach, said he would never mention winning the title until at least the 30th round. However, he changed his stance ahead of the match against Sangmu in Gimcheon on July 28, saying it is a good thing that players have begun to use the word “winning.” Since then, he has not won a match, nor has he drawn a match.
The two-week “A-match” break starts on Tuesday, when the Chuseok holiday begins. Players who have already been called up for A-match games are welcome to take a short break, but they cannot afford to enjoy the time. Many people are complaining that “Even if you rest, you don’t rest.” After the A-match break, the K-League 1 will go straight to the split branch. The Asian Champions League (ACLE, ACL2) will begin from 2024 to 2025, and Ulsan, Pohang, Gwangju FC, and Jeonbuk will be busier.
There are only four rounds left until the split point. After the 33rd round on Oct. 6, the K League 1 will play another five rounds, divided into Final A ranked first to sixth and Final B ranked seventh to 12th. The fate of the six teams has already been decided. Gangwon and Ulsan will play Final A, Jeonbuk and Daegu against Daejeon Hana Citizen ranked 9th to 10th, and Incheon United (31 points or more) will play Final B. Jeonbuk’s 100 percent Final A record was broken, which is an extraordinary event that this season has created.
Suwon FC (48 points), Gimcheon FC (47 points), and FC Seoul FC (46 points), which are ranked third and fifth, are in the stable zone of Final A. The last remaining battle between the six teams can be narrowed down to Pohang FC (44 points), Gwangju FC (37 points), and Jeju FC (35 points). However, with the game biting away, Pohang is in an absolute advantage. It is not easy to overturn the 7-9 point gap.
The 30th round of Hana Bank’s K League 1 2024 is a watershed moment for the A-match break. Gwangju and Pohang will have a head-on clash on the 13th. If Pohang wins, the split war could come to an end early. On the other hand, if Gwangju catches Pohang, the place in the round of six will be shrouded in fog until the end.
There is another “big match.” Ulsan will invite Gangwon to its home turf on Tuesday to stage a “blood-to-blood match.” However, there are A-match variables. Ulsan has five players, including Kim Young-kwon, Cho Hyun-woo, Jung Woo-young, residents Kyu and Lee Myung-jae, and Gangwon has three players, including Hwang Moon-ki, Yang Min-hyuk and Kang Tu-ji. Of course, they can play if they are forced to join the match, but it is not easy for them to play in reality. Hong Myung-ho will be lifted after playing the second match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup against Oman at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Muscat, Oman, on Saturday (Korea time). Taegeuk Warriors will return to Korea on Saturday. Kang, a member of the Montenegrin national team, will arrive in Korea on Sunday. 토토사이트
As for Final A, the winner gets a ticket to ACL, and the winner gets a survival battle for Final B. The loser is even more desperate. The 12th-ranked players will be directly demoted to the second division, while the 10th-ranked and 11th-ranked players will be determined through the promotion and playoffs. The loser of each round will change. The A-match break is an opportunity for reorganization. There is no king but to accumulate points one by one.