K League R30 Review
Pitches Quality Low Entertainment Value High With 22 Goals Across 6 Matches
Earlier kick-offs are back in the K League, but the weather remains quite unbearable, so huge credit goes to the players for sticking it out. Despite the weather and poor pitch conditions, we saw plenty of goals and entertainment in Round 30, with three games to go before the split. Only Gimcheon Sangmu managed to clinch a spot in the top six, while Gwangju clings to the hope of reaching that position. FC Seoul continues their yearly tradition of faltering just before the split, Pohang extends their unwanted club record losing streak, and Suwon FC suffers their heaviest home defeat in their history on their anniversary as well. At the bottom, the situation is not much clearer, with in-form Jeonbuk and Daejeon securing wins. Incheon has completed their plummet to the bottom of the table, while Daegu FC defeated Jeju away from home, recording their first clean sheet on the road all season and pulling the islanders firmly into the relegation picture.
GOAL OF THE ROUND
Jeon Jin-woo managed to sit both Suwon FC goalkeeper and defender down to make it 4-0 in Jeonbuk’s 6-0 away from home rout. Andrigo’s excellent ball over the top, after Suwon FC had gone close to getting on the scoresheet themselves, sent Jeon Jin-woo on his way and the next part was gorgeous to watch, unless you’re a Suwon FC fan
PLAYER OF THE ROUND
Gustav Ludwigson (Ulsan HD) the Swede’s excellent assist for Ulsan’s first in the 1st vs 2nd battle at the top sent the champions on their way and he was heavily involved in their second as well.
GAME OF THE ROUND
FC Seoul 2-3 Daejeon Hana Citizen (XG 1.02 vs 1.33)
FC Seoul's 6-game unbeaten run came to a crashing halt in front of nearly 30,000 fans, at a time when the expectation was to effectively seal a top-six finish for the first time since 2019. A quick-fire start from Daejeon saw them take a two-goal lead inside 6 minutes. FC Seoul’s manager, Kim Gi-dong, claimed that the 4:30 kickoff, the team's first in months, had caught his players off-guard. However, it was poor positioning by goalkeeper Kang Hyun-mu and a brighter, more determined and tactically disciplined Daejeon side that were truly to blame.
But FC Seoul rallied and quickly pulled one back through Choi Jun. Just after half-time, Lingard leveled the score and celebrated as he said he would on a recent popular entertainment program. This irked his opponents, who then controlled most of the second half. When Lingard missed a golden chance for his first double in the K League, Daejeon capitalized on an FC Seoul defense that was backing off. Kim Hyun-wook’s beautiful 20-yard curler, followed by a ‘revenge’ celebration, sealed FC Seoul’s misery.
MOM
Bobsin (Daejeon)
UP NEXT
FC Seoul face Daegu away and Daejeon have a six-pointer with Jeonbuk.
Gwangju FC 2-1 Pohang Steelers (Xg 1.47 vs 0.13)
Gwangju FC kept their previously slim hopes of a top-six finish alive with a win over sixth-placed Pohang, whose freefall shows no sign of stopping. Two mistakes in goal by Hwang In-jae helped Gwangju secure an important victory in the battle for sixth place. Pohang offered very little going forward and were fortunate to get a late consolation goal from evergreen captain Wanderson. The East Coast side’s struggles continue, with a record-breaking sixth consecutive league loss, though they hold out hope for a reprieve midweek in the newly formed ACL Elite competition when they travel to China to face Shanghai Shenhua.
MOM
Gabriel (Gwangju FC)
UP NEXT
Gwangju have Yokohama in the ACLE and then Jeju at home while Pohang are off to China in the ACLE and then at home to Gangwon.
Suwon FC 0-6 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (XG 1.22 vs 2.81)
It was an awful week both on and off the pitch for Suwon FC. First came the mutual termination of a key defensive midfielder, followed by losing a home game due to a parade taking place on their already damaged pitch. To make matters worse, they suffered a humiliating 6-0 defeat, the largest in their history.
On the other hand, Jeonbuk will bask in the glory of their biggest win of the season. The team is finally showing real signs of clicking offensively, while also achieving the long-sought defensive stability with three consecutive clean sheets—impressive for what had been the K League’s leakiest defense.
The signs that it wouldn’t be Suwon’s day were clear when Ji Dong-won produced the miss of the season early on. Conceding two goals from former players Lee Yeong-jae and Lee Seung-woo was painful, but the team’s poor defending in transition highlighted the glaring absence of Son Jun-ho.
MOM
Boateng (Jeonbuk)
UP NEXT
Jeonbuk travel to the Phillipines for the ACL2 then are away at Daejeon. Suwon FC are at home to Gimcheon.
Jeju United 0-4 Daegu FC (Xg 1.22 vs 1.61)
A much-changed Jeju United, playing in front of the league’s first-ever "bring your pet to the game" event, made a dog’s dinner of a potential six-pointer. Daegu FC returned to winning ways, with a crucial triple substitution at half-time key to their success. One of those subs, Jeong Chi-in, opened the scoring in the 55th minute and assisted the next two goals, as Jeju United struggled to create anything in the second half. Their misery was compounded when their Italo went off injured, while Daegu’s Italo opened his account to seal a 4-0 victory and bring Jeju very much into the relegation battle.
MOM
Jeong Chi-in (Daegu FC)
UP NEXT
Daegu are at home to FC Seoul while Jeju United travel to Gwangju FC.
Gimcheon Sangmu 2-0 Incheon United (XG 1.83 vs 1.68)
Gimcheon’s four-game winless streak was finally put to bed against bottom-of-the-table Incheon United. A tight first half gave way to a more open second, with Kim Dae-won’s game-changing introduction at half-time proving decisive. His assist-assist for a well-worked opener forced Incheon to push forward, creating plenty of space for the army side to exploit. They should have scored earlier but eventually sealed the win with a last-kick-of-the-game second goal, after a disastrous Incheon defense left the net wide open from 30 yards, allowing KDW to score his fifth of the season.
MOM
Kim Dae-won (Gimcheon)
UP NEXT
Gimcheon travel to Suwon FC while Incheon host first-placed Ulsan HD.
Ulsan HD 2-0 Gangwon FC (Xg 0.48 vs 0.7)
Unfortunately, the 1st vs 2nd battle is last in the Match of the Day running order, with both sides struggling due to poor pitch conditions. A wily and more experienced Ulsan HD capitalized on their deeper squad, while Gangwon’s internationals—Tuci, Yang Min-hyuk, and Hwang Mun-ki—did not start. Two moments of quality won the game, but the suspect defending by Gangwon’s third-choice center-back, Kim Woo-seok, cannot be overlooked. While there’s hope for more twists in this title run-in, there is certainly an air of inevitability about Ulsan reclaiming first place.
MOM
Ludwigson (Ulsan)
UP NEXT
Ulsan face Japanese rivals Kawasaki Frontale in the ACLE and then play Incheon away while Gangwon FC travel back to the east coast to play Pohang.