We need to change the atmosphere. Two teams with a clear downward trend will meet.
Ulsan HD and Daejeon Hana Citizen will clash in the 14th round of “Hana Bank K League 1 2024” to be held at Munsu Stadium in Ulsan on the 25th.
Ulsan under Coach Hong Myung-bo has never had a chance to smile during the past three games, including its recent two consecutive wins. Ulsan, which drew 2-2 with Gimcheon Sangmu at its 12th round home game on Saturday, also lost to Gwangju FC 1-2 in its eighth round match, and collapsed to 0-1 in its 13th round away match against Gangwon FC on Sunday. Ulsan, which has also garnered three consecutive wins and lost two consecutive games for the first time in this season, has dropped to third place with seven wins, three draws and three losses, and 24 points.
It is regrettable to see unstable backdoor policy. Veteran defender Kim Young-kwon’s mistakes became more frequent, and right fullback Seol Young-woo left the team due to shoulder surgery. Hong, who had been struggling with combination of offense due to Lee Dong-kyung’s enlistment in the military, has added to his concerns.
Of course, the situation at Daejeon Hana is much worse. It ranked the lowest (12th) with only two wins, five draws and six losses and 11 points. The gap is only two matches shorter than the 11th-ranked Jeonbuk Hyundai (three wins, four draws and six losses, 13 points) and Incheon United (four wins, five draws and four losses, 17 points), which ranks sixth in the final round group A (ranking first to sixth), but the recent trend is quite disappointing.
Daejeon Hana has no win in four games (two draws and two losses). After losing 0-1 at home to Incheon on Tuesday, coach Lee Min-seong stepped down. The downward trend stems from a lack of capacity. Central midfielder Lee Soon-min and Latvian striker Gutek hurt their ankle. As the team is in chaos, internal players in the team feel uneasy.
Nevertheless, the team desperately needs a win. As the competition for ranking is so fierce, Ulsan will be chased after fourth-ranked Suwon FC (6 wins, 3 draws, 4 losses with 21 points). Suwon FC, which beat the Pohang Steelers after winning 3-2 at an away match against Jeonbuk, will also seek to continue its upward trajectory at an away match against Jeju United on Wednesday. Even in order to secure a comfortable lead, Ulsan cannot afford to miss this match. 안전놀이터
On the other hand, Daejeon Hana, under acting head coach Chung Kwang-seok, is trying to pave the way for a reversal in its away match in Ulsan. I also have fond memories of the match. On April 2, the team defeated Ulsan 2-0 in its first showdown of the season. This is a great opportunity as it is its first win of the season, and this time it is a fresh start.