K League R1-11 Round Up
Round 11 turned out to be the most controversial with a number of contentious decisions involving VAR. A look back at all the action over the past weekend and review of the opening 11 rounds.
We’ve reached the stage where everyone has played everyone once - a good time to take stock of what’s happened so far this season as well as the latest round.
Rounds 1-11 already have produced some excellent games, superb goals, and numerous talking points.
Story of the Opening K League R1-11
We’ve already seen two managers leaving their positions with a number of clubs going through their own mini-crises, meaning the story of the opening rounds where now everyone has played everyone (except Gwangju and Ulsan) is focused on the strugglers rather than the top end of the table. Gwangju FC went on a 6-game losing streak, Daejeon’s injuries saw their coach Lee Min-sung, who had just signed a contract extension, come under pressure, FC Seoul’s new manager Kim Gi-dong has fully realised the task on his hands with Jesse Lingard’s fitness woes adding to the problems. Those three have perhaps come out the other side, but Daegu FC, who sit bottom, and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have both lost their coaches. Jeonbuk’s Dan Petrescu resigned on match day 5 and they are still in the caretaker’s hands after 6 mixed matches. Daegu’s coach Choi Won-kwon couldn’t survive his own injury crisis, and while new manager Park Chang-hyun’s football has impressed, his return of 1 point from 9 mean they still find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table. Gimcheon have been the surprise package as they sit third on 21 points, which will do them good when they go through their mid-season changeover of players and probably struggle over the finish line. Ulsan’s start hasn’t been faultless but they’ve began to purr and have went on a 5-game winning streak since losing to their kyptonite Daejeon. The likes of Incheon, Suwon FC and Jeju United have been very hit and miss with some good performances mixed in with the awful.
Team of the Opening R1-11
Pohang Steelers - After an off-season of much change in squad and crucially in manager after a successful 2023, it seemed unlikely that we would see another title challenge from Pohang Steelers, but that may be what we have as they sit top of the table. Pohang are undefeated in 10 games after the opening day somewhat fortuitous win for East Coast, and title, rivals Ulsan HD. With Jeong Jae-hee’s fine form, including a first career hat-trick in R10, Pohang have plugged some part of the gaps left by foreign players Zeca and Grant. Their defence sits at the top of the charts with the fewest goals conceded (8) although Xg tells us that they have been quite fortunate so far this season, which seems obvious with the amount of late late wins they’ve had as well. Their Xg goals against is 14.18 while Xg is 13.51 from 18 goals scored, which would mean their expected points is 15.3, a stat which would have them joint third with top of the table, surprisingly being Incheon United and bottom being Jeju United. We’ll have to revisit Pohang’s fotunes after the next round of 11 games to see if goalkeeper Hwang In-jae can keep up his form and Brazilian import Jorge can finally score with a return of 0 so far form Xg of 2.24.
Player of the Opening R1-11
Lee Dong-gyeong, AM, Ulsan HD. 7 goals and 5 assists.
The former FC Schalke 09 and Hansa Rostock returned to the K League last summer in 2023 and his return was heralded as a major coup by Ulsan HD, who welcomed him back with open arms. His form in 2023 never picked up and coming into this season he was seen as one of many great attacking options for the defending champions, but with minutes shared amongst them. His 17 minutes in the opening game of the season was proof of this; he went on to start every game such was his form, bagging a double and an assist in the next game away to Gimcheon Sangmu, and it’s the army team that unfortunate has robbed us in the league of a potential MVP. Lee’s return to Ulsan last summer was primarily to fulfil the criteria of playing in the K League for 6 months before going off to complete your military service, which footballers can do at Gimcheon Sangmu. For Lee’s 8 appearances in the league for Ulsan is all we get, but he blessed us with some superb football and finishing, even with his weaker right, his goal return of 7 from an an Xg of 2.86 tells all about that. He was even surpassing the form that had got him that move to Europe at the start of 2022. We must now wait for him to complete his military training duties before hopefully getting more minutes on the pitch at Gimcheon.
Signing of the 2024 Season so far
Lee Sang-heon, Gangwon FC - Gangwon’s good start to the season has largely been down to Lee’s 7 goals and after spending part of the 2023 season with the Busan I’Park B team in K4, it has come as a surprise to many. His form has dipped with no goals in 5 games but as Gangwon continue to impress it will surely be a matter of time before he gets in and amongst the goals again.
Flop of the 2024 Season so far
Tiago Orobo, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors - the 2023 K League 1 Joint Top Scorer hasn’t found his feet yet and his new club have struggled. Things could’ve been very different if he had converted those two penalties against Ulsan HD’s Jo Hyun-woo; Jeonbuk may still be in the Asian Champions League and head coach Dan Petrescu may have kept his job. Tiago’s return of 1 goal from an Xg of 3.72 has been disappointing with the Brazilian looking low on confidence in recent games.
Young Player of the Season
Yang Min-hyuk, Gangwon FC - The 18 year-old high school student continues to show an array of talent, bursting onto the scene in the opening 5 minutes of the season, with a goal, wrongly taken off him, against Jeju United, and then followed up the following week with a screamer away at Gwangju FC. His dribbling has impressed and the assist assist backheel he gave against Incheon United was special. Keep watching!
Round 11
Saw just the two goals in the first halves but a lot of late drama in games and controversial VAR decisions pretty much across the board.
Pohang Steelers 1-0 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
(1.94 - 0.93 Xg)
Last minute drama again for Pohang - what else? Jeonbuk may have had a penalty in the run up to the late Pohang winner but this win puts the East Coast team at the top of the pile, although Ulsan have a game in hand.
MOM Wanderson
FC Seoul 0-1 Ulsan HD
(1.01 - 2.01 Xg)
FC Seoul have filed an official complaint about the penalty given against in added time, which allowed Ulsan to make it 5 wins in the last 5.
MOM Lee Tae-seok
Gimcheon Sangmu 2-2 Incheon United
(1.11 - 2.36 Xg)
Incheon came back from a slow start and 2 goals down to rescue a point and break the Gimcheon backline that had gone 4 games without conceding.
MOM Kim Dae-won
Suwon FC 1-2 Gangwon FC
(1.28 - 0.83 Xg)
Another comeback was found in the pouring rain, after a late show from Gangwon saw them cancel out an excellent Lee Seung-woo opener.
MOM Anderson
Jeju United 1-0 Daegu FC
(1.09 - 1.80 Xg)
A youthful Daegu looked good in the first half but wilted in the second half and the hosts got the scrappy goal that was always going to be the difference in this type of game
MOM Kim Tae-hwan
Gwangju FC 2-1 Daejeon Hana Citizen
(1.53 - 1.63 Xg)
The final comeback of the weekend was at Gwangju, who sneaked a win in a hotly contested game on the Bank Holiday Monday. The battle between former Korean International Ju Se-jong and recently debuted Jung Ho-yeon was great to watch
MOM Jung Ho-yeon