K League Murderous Schedule R21/22/23 Review

Two clubs bid farewell to their most successful managers as players battle through midweek rainy season conditions and refs get loose with decisions. We try to catch up with the horrendous schedule

Jul 16, 2024

FC Seoul vs Daejeon Hana Citizen R22 - Midweek Sunset

Controversy after controversy on and off the pitch in recent weeks with the conclusion to the five-month Korea manager search complete as Ulsan Manager Hong Myung-bo opts for a 2nd go as the manager of the national team. That left a bitter pill for not only the Ulsan fans, but the whole of Korean football, with doping allegations thrown at Daejeon's Kim In-gyun after the quick winger took cold medicine, Incheon United parting ways with their coach, waterlogged pitches midweek, and a murderous schedule for teams - we can at least all look forward to no K League this midweek, no there’s the Korean Cup for a few teams. Brief summaries below as we aim to take stock of who’s doing what in the 2024 K League Summer

R21

Four draws with Gangwon and Jeju the only winners this week. Most of the action took place at Daegu with two reds and 6 goals and late Daegu goal ruled out for handball.

Goal of the Round

Jung Han-min’s opener vs Gwangju just pips a similar Cesinha opener vs Pohang

Player of the Round

Cesinha (Daegu FC) with two goals - it’s fair the say the league’s best player is back to his brilliant best.

Match of the Round

Mad hat refereeing and some lovely goals, complete with a GK sub and a late winner cruelly but rightly ruled out.

Daegu FC 3-3 Pohang Steelers (1.62Xg - 2.17 Xg)

MOM Cesinha

Incheon United 1-1 Gimcheon Sangmu (0.64 Xg - 1.23 Xg)

MOM: Seo Min-woo

Suwon FC 1-1 Ulsan HD (1.1 Xg - 0.72 Xg)

MOM Jeong Seung-won

Jeju United 3-2 FC Seoul (1.32 Xg - 1.71 Xg)

MOM Seo Jin-su

Daejeon Hana Citizen 2-2 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

(1.24 Xg -1.02 Xg)

MOM Tiago

Gangwon FC 2-0 Gwangju FC (0.8 Xg - 2.36 Xg)

MOM Lee You-hyun

R22

Midweek wet conditions on Tuesday was followed by a fiery Wednesday with 2 come-from-behind wins and the main talking point was the fury that greeted Hong Myung-bo in what would be his last game in charge. Just how Hong thought he could continue his Ulsan job after the announcement that he would be leaving for the National Team, and in doing so go back on his promise to stay, is beyond me. It was a bad match day for the teams at the top with Suwon FC gaining ground and Pohang going back to the summit with their home win in a poor game against Gangwon as Ulsan HD and Gimcheon both lost. Lingard’s first goal in open play and first rendition of the piped piper celebration also made headlines, with a lovely floated header that gave the team the 3 points. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors got their first win under Kim Do-heon after an electric opening to the game that saw both teams score inside the first 5 minutes

Goal of the Round

Jeon Byung-kwan got Jeonbuk right back into the game after conceding in the 2nd minute with a lovely cut in from the left and fired in low and hard at the keeper’s near post. This goal set the Jeonju based outfit on their way to their first win under Kim Do-heon.

Player of the Round

Ji Dong-won (Suwon FC) rolling back the years with a great hit for his ‘1st’ that unfortunately goes down as an own goal and then the ‘2nd’ was the result of some excellent movement in the box evading one of the best centre backs this season in Park Seung-wook to tap in from 6 yards.

Match of the Round

Wet, wet, wet but some entertaining stuff complete with nice finishes and disastrous defending with 2 own goals.

Gimcheon 2-3 Suwon FC (1.36 Xg - 1.87 Xg)

MOM Ji Dong-won

Ulsan HD 0-1 Gwangju FC (1.45 Xg - 1.62 Xg)

MOM Kim Kyung-min

Pohang Steelers 2-0 Gangwon (0.59 Xg - 0.3 Xg)

MOM Oberdan

FC Seoul 2-1 Daejeon Hana Citizen (1.4 Xg - 1.18 Xg)

MOM Cho Young-wook

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 2-1 Jeju United (0.7 Xg - 0.67 Xg)

MOM Jeon Byung-kwan

Daegu FC 0-0 Incheon United (0.76 Xg - 1.96 Xg)

MOM Cesinha

R23

Incheon United and Ulsan HD both got their first wins under caretakers as Gimcheon tore apart 10 man Jeonbuk to put an end to their mini 1-game revival. Daegu put Suwon’s title credentials to the test while Jeju had some help from the referee but deserved the win against a rotated Pohang. Daejeon lost the lead again to draw with Gangwon FC

Goal of the Round

Reis did a Reis special that he was known for during his Gwangju FC days

Player of the Round

Matej Jonjic (Incheon United) a notable achievement in bagging his first Incheon goal despite over 80 matches over the two spells dating back to 2015. He has also marshalled the team’s solid transition since the caretaker came in with no goals conceded in a week where they had two long away trips. Jonjic reacted quicker than Heo Yool, whose place at centre back continues to baffle me, to stab the ball home form 6 yards.