The match of interest in the sixth round of the “Hana Bank K League 1 2024” during the peak of spring flowers will be a showdown between the 10th-ranked Daejeon (five points) and the top-ranked Pohang (ten points). What will happen to Daejeon, which reported its first win in the previous game, and Pohang, which has been undefeated in four consecutive games? Both teams are on the rise, drawing keen attention to the outcome of their win and loss.
Ulsan HD, which humiliatingly lost its away match against Daejeon with no goal during the week, aims to recover its reputation at home. As Daejeon, which was the opponent team in the fifth round, failed to report its first win before the match, the result shocked Ulsan HD, the defending champion led by coach Hong Myung-bo. It will shed light on major issues in the six matches of the K-League 1’s sixth round that will take place on June 6 and 7.
□ Match of Round: ‘First Win Report’ Daejeon vs ‘Unbeaten in 4 consecutive games’ Pohang
Daejeon, the home team, registered its first win of the season with a 2-0 victory over Ulsan in the fifth round on weekdays. Daejeon faltered after the opening with two draws and two losses, but succeeded in turning the mood by beating the defending champion Ulsan. At the time, Leandro and Kim In-gyun both scored their first goals of the season to contribute to the victory, but the hidden MVP was goalkeeper Lee Chang-geun.
Lee Chang-geun blocked all six of Ulsan’s effective shots, recording his first clean sheet of the season. Lee Chang-geun, who led the team to victory with his amazing reflexes, will try to score no runs in two consecutive games against Pohang. Another point to watch against Pohang is Kim Seung-dae, who meets his former team. Kim Seung-dae has played in all but one game since moving from Pohang to Daejeon this season, but has yet to score an offensive point. Expectations are high whether Kim Seung-dae, who knows Pohang better than anyone else, will be able to score against his former team.
The away team Pohang played host to a 1-1 draw against Suwon FC during the week. Although the draw halted its three-game winning streak, the team has been undefeated for four consecutive games. Jung Jae-hee has led to the recent upturn in Pohang. Although Jung did not play due to an injury in the beginning of the season, he scored three consecutive offensive points with one goal against Gwangju in the third round, one goal against Jeju in the fourth round, and one assist against Suwon FC in the fifth round.
The goals in the third and fourth rounds are all the more meaningful in that they were the final goals that determined the team’s victory. It is regrettable that Pohang has yet to have strikers Giorgi and Lee Ho-jae scoring goals, while players from all different positions including Jeong Jae-hee, Baek Sung-dong, Kim Jong-woo and Wandelsson are active. However, as both players have posted two assists to rejuvenate their offense, they will hunt for their first goal of the season in this match.
Meanwhile, Pohang has been particularly strong in 13 consecutive games against Daejeon (10 wins and 3 draws). Whether Pohang will be able to continue its overwhelming performance against Daejeon or whether Daejeon will be able to catch Pohang after Ulsan can be confirmed at 4:30 p.m. on the 7th (Sunday) at Daejeon World Cup Stadium.
□ Team of Round: Ulsan HD seeking to reclaim the lead
Ulsan ended its unbeaten streak after the opening with a 0-2 loss in the 5th round match held during the week. It’s a disappointing result compared to last season, which recorded all the wins until the 6th round, but it’s possible to regain the lead at any time, as it’s only two points away from Pohang, the first place.
Currently, Ulsan has scored nine points and nine lost goals in five matches, making it the team with the most goals scored and lost goals. Therefore, the key is to reduce the number of goals lost while continuing to display explosive attack capability.
The player who stands out the most in Ulsan this season is definitely Lee Dong-kyung. After returning from Germany last season, Lee only scored two goals and one assist in nine matches, but he played in all matches through the fifth round, recording four goals and two assists early on this season. The figure is equivalent to the number of attack points and tying for second in most goals among all K-League 1 players.
Although Lee Dong-kyung failed to score in the previous match against Daejeon, he constantly threatened his opponent’s goal by recording the most shots (7) and most effective shots (4) in the team. In addition to Lee Dong-kyung, players such as Martin Adam (2 goals), Kim Ji-hyun, Jang Si-young, and Ataru (1 goal each) in Ulsan have tasted the goal, but Joo Min-kyu and Rubik’sson have yet to score. Ulsan’s attack could be even fiercer if the two players’ scoring shots are in operation.
Also, the performances of Jang Si-young and Choi Kang-min, who are playing as U-22 resources, are a good thing for Ulsan. Both players are fullback resources born in 2002 from Ulsan Youth, Jang Si-young scored one goal in four games and Choi Kang-min played three games, slowly incorporating themselves into the team. If the two players add up, Ulsan can ease the worries of U-22 resources and build a younger defensive line. 밤알바
Meanwhile, Ulsan will meet Suwon FC in the upcoming round. Ulsan has been particularly strong since it won all eight recent matches against Suwon FC, and it is trying to bring back good memories in this match as well. The match between Ulsan and Suwon FC will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday (Saturday) at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan.