adminThey can’t catch up, and they can’t run any faster. The leaders and second-place group are running parallel. Below them, it’s a dogfight, but the battle at the top is stagnant.
The second-place Pohang Steelers took the stage four days earlier. They drew 2-2 on the road against FC Seoul, giving the ‘absolute favorites’ Ulsan Hyundai a chance to extend their lead. However, they were unable to capitalize on the opportunity as they played out a goalless draw away to Daegu FC on the fifth. The gap between Ulsan (57 points) and Pohang (45 points) remained at 12 points. With a double-digit gap, Ulsan still has some breathing room. But it’s too early to pop the champagne.
The bigger concern is their lack of form. The absence of Park Yong-woo, the heart of the midfield, is being felt more and more. Ulsan has been on a roll, winning six games in a row twice and five games in a row once. It seemed like they were booking their first back-to-back losses in franchise history.
But if they don’t know what they’re doing, Nanjari does. Without Park Yong-woo, the team has won one, drawn one, and lost two of its last four games, and is actually facing its first “crisis” of the season. It was the same against Daegu. Ulsan has met Daegu twice this season, winning 3-0 and 3-1, respectively. On May 5, they also broke the Daegu away jinx.
However, Ulsan was not a flashy team. They were out-shot 71-29, but there were no eye-catching plays. Park Yong-woo’s spot was filled by Kim Min-hyuk, who reunited with Lee Kyu-sung. Right above him was Lee Dong-kyung.
In the previous round against Jeju (2-1 win) on the 21st of last month, Kim Min-hyuk scored the first goal and Lee Dong-kyung scored the final goal, but today was different. They couldn’t find a way out of the opponent’s net defense. They had to adjust their game plan to break down the dense defense, but the attack was predictable. There were no creative moves.
On the contrary, several counterattacks were threatened when the ball was lost in the center. Daegu faced Ulsan with their usual ‘defense first, counterattack second’ game plan. Sejingya, Edgar, and Vaselus formed a triangle. In the 24th minute of the second half, they conceded a goal. The ball was passed from Sejingya, Edgar, back to Sejingya, and then to Vassellus. It was a “great luck” for Ulsan that Vaselus’ shot hit the crossbar and went into the air.
Captain Jeong Seung-hyun was also an ‘octet’, as he nearly received a red card for roughly pushing an opponent in the first 20 minutes of Ulsan’s corner kick. After a video assistant referee (VAR) review, he was only cautioned, but it was unnecessary. However, it was a “small gain” that Kim Ki-hee was introduced in the 33rd minute to experiment with a three-back with Kim Young-kwon and Jung Seung-hyun in case of a counterattack.온라인카지노
Every team that meets Ulsan is looking for an upset. They know their attacking points. Of course, Ulsan also knows their opponents, but they need a ‘plus alpha’ from now on. Only then can they get closer to the top.