K League 1 saw two do-or-die matches topping this week’s South Korean football.
FC Seoul vs. Incheon United and Ulsan Hyundai vs. Jeonbuk Hyundai. Seoul and Incheon’s were looking for points to lift them off the bottom of the table, while Ulsan and Jeonbuk’s clash was all about clinching the top. V League’s title race has become more entertaining, and Japan has restarted its footballing action with J League 2 matches.
Seoul left Incheon Football Stadium with a smile, as the winner of the first Gyeongin Derby of the season. While dominating the pitch, the game proved to be challenging. They couldn’t find the net until the 62nd minute and Park Chu-young even missed a penalty just a minute earlier. But Yun Ju-tae, who had been struggling to find the net, was there to save his team. His only goal, which was Yun’s first goal since last August, helped Seoul end their losing streak.
Incheon, on the other hand, added another loss on their list despite the decent performance. It was anticipated to be a tough challenge for the Blue-Blacks without the injured Montenegrin international Stefan Mugosa. Incheon actually had a chance to grab the lead with a penalty in the 44th minute, but Lee Woo-hyeok’s attempt was sent off target.
The outcome was harsh: Incheon’s manager Lim Wan-seop expressed his intention to resign from his post right after the match, only 9 games into the season. Lim set a new record, becoming the first manager to quit the job in both K League 1&2.
With 7 consecutive losses, the losing side was mocked by some of Seoul’s fans with a ‘Incheon will be relegated’ chant.
On to the brighter side, Jeonbuk gained the upper hand in the title race after comfortably beating the contender Ulsan 2-0 at Ulsan Munsu Stadium. It all started off with a red card shown to Kim Kee-hee after a silly challenge on Kim Bo-kyung in the 26th minute.
Ulsan had to play with 10 men for the remaining 65 minutes, and Jeonbuk took full advantage of the situation. Han Kyo-won’s goal in the 44th minute and Takahiro Kunimoto’s wonderful effort at the very last minute were enough to bag 3 points on the way to the top. The reigning champions dominated most of the match, shooting 21 times with 12 shots on target, while Ulsan only managed to shoot on target once.
This result gave Jeonbuk a four-point advantage over second-placed Ulsan, this being their first loss of the season. There are now no unbeaten teams left this season, in both K 1 & K2 leagues.
In other matches, Pohang Steelers beat Gwangju FC 2-0 and Busan Ipark did not manage to beat 9-men Seongnam FC. Cesinha shined again for Daegu FC’s 2-1 victory over Gangwon FC, and Suwon Samsung Bluewings suffered another defeat against Sangju Sangmu.
V League
In Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City FC beat Song Lam Nghe 3-1 and moved up to the top place. Although their Brazilian midfielder Alex Lima has left the club, Ho Chi Minh still had no worries. Pham Van Thanh, Nguyen Cong Phuong and Amido Balde all struck for TPHCM while Gustavo only helped SLNA get a consolation goal.
Binh Duong and Ha Noi FC’s match was another one that dragged all the attention. Jamaican international Rimario Gordon was truly the man of the match, scoring a brace for Ha Noi in the 20th&90th minute. Ha Noi clinched a victory thanks to Gordon’s effort, and the Jamaican is currently leading the goal scorer chart with four goals.
J League 2
In Japan, the J2 league resumed action one week before the J1 league. Tokyo Verdy vs. FC Machida Zelvia and Kyoto Sanga FC vs. Jubilo Iwata matchups were broadcasted live on Youtube, and all matches, obviously, were held behind closed doors.
Ehime FC and Tokushima Vortis’ ‘Shikoku Derby’ was the most thrilling match of the week. At the end of the first half, Vortis were 3-0 up with goals from Ken Iwao and Yuki Kakita and an own goal from Kosuke Yamazaki. But Ehime, the hosts, managed to make an epic four-goal comeback in the second half. Starting from Shigeru Yokotani’s goal in the 52nd minute, the next three goals came in the last 12 minutes of the game. What a way to make a comeback!