At 2 p.m. on the 30th, the first day of the Chuseok holiday weekend, the 177th East Coast derby between Pohang Steelers and Ulsan Hyundai, the oldest ‘derby match’ in the K-League, will be held at the Pohang Steel Yard.
While a fierce match is expected, the atmosphere of both teams is showing somewhat conflicting trends. First of all, the home team Pohang Steelers is in the best mood. Since losing 1-0 to Ulsan in the 21st round, the second leg of the East Coast derby, Pohang has been undefeated in 11 official matches, including the Asian Champions League, and has recorded 57 points with 3 wins and 2 draws in the last 5 league games. . Pohang, which is in second place, is chasing leader Ulsan by 8 points.
Ulsan Hyundai, who are trying hard to run away from Pohang, a chaser with a good flow, appear to be in a somewhat depressed mood. With 65 points, they are the team most likely to win the league at this point, but in the current atmosphere, anxiety about a comeback victory is growing. Since the start of the season, they have recorded 6 consecutive wins twice and 5 consecutive wins once, rising to the sole lead, but the graph shows a sharp decline since the end of the first half.
Ulsan, who suffered a 2-1 loss in the home game against Incheon United in the 22nd round, was shaken by a 3-1 shock loss to last place Suwon Samsung in the 23rd round. Ulsan, which has had an uneasy record of 2 wins, 3 draws, and 2 losses in the 7 league games since the start of the second half, eventually allowed second place Pohang to catch up and was in a precarious situation.
Why this east coast derby is important
This east coast derby could be a huge stimulus for Pohang and Ulsan. This is because it is a game where the direction of the league championship is at stake. Currently, 2nd place Pohang has 57 points and 1st place Ulsan has 65 points, so the gap between the two teams is only 8 points.
With two regular round games and five Final A round games remaining, a win is essential for both teams with a total of two matches remaining, including this East Coast derby. In particular, Pohang, which is in a chaser position, must win this East Coast Derby to lay the foundation for a comeback victory.
If they maintain a 2-point gap and win against Ulsan in the East Coast Derby, which will be played once more in the final round, they will be able to draw the best scenario to take away the leading position. On the other hand, if Pohang records a loss, Ulsan can get one step closer to confirming an early victory.
In the end, the team that wins this East Coast derby could be in an advantageous position to win the league this season, so Pohang and Ulsan are determined to face the game with a desperate mindset.
The atmosphere was already starting to heat up. Pohang Steel Yard, where the game is being played, announced on its official SNS and website on the 27th that tickets for the 32nd round home game against Ulsan were sold out, and away seats for Ulsan fans were also sold out.메이저사이트
While continuing the fierce league championship race, I met a fateful rival. Who will be the winner of the East Coast derby, one of the K-League’s most popular derbies? Let’s pay attention to the East Coast Derby at 14:00 on Saturday (30th) during the Chuseok holiday.