Racist remarks + 2 consecutive losses…against Jeju on 21st 카지노사이트
Ulsan Hyundai suffered their second consecutive defeat in two years and nine months. (Courtesy of the Korea Football Association)
(SEOUL, South Korea) Do-yong Kim = The mood at Ulsan Hyundai, which is trying to win the title for the second consecutive season, has been strange of late. They are still leading the K League One table but have suffered an unfamiliar two-game losing streak. A quick rebound is needed to avoid giving the chasers a leg up.
Ulsan will host Jeju United in the 24th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2023 on 21 November at 7.30pm at Ulsan Mungu Stadium.
This is a must-win game for Ulsan. Ulsan lost 1-2 to Incheon United in Anbang on the 12th of this month, followed by a 1-3 defeat to Suwon Samsung three days later.
It’s been two years and nine months since Ulsan suffered back-to-back defeats in October 2020. It is the first back-to-back losses since Hong Myung-bo took over as head coach in 2021.
Despite the back-to-back defeats, the team’s lead at the top of the table is not under threat. After 23 games, Ulsan has 17 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses (53 points), a clear lead of 12 points over second-placed Pohang Steelers (41 points).
However, another poor result would leave them on edge. This could be a factor with more than 10 games to go.
Ulsan’s recent struggles have been partly due to their tactics being exposed by their opponents, but mostly due to their uneasy internal atmosphere.
Ulsan became embroiled in controversy early last month when some players made racist comments on social media. This was followed by a punishment from the KFA and a shrug off from the club, leading to a growing chorus of criticism from Ulsan’s fans.
Since then, there have been several incidents within the team, including Lee Kyu-sung punching an opponent during a match and Park Yong-woo’s transfer to Al Ain (United Arab Emirates).
Ulsan Hyundai coach Hong Myung-bo suffered his first back-to-back defeats since taking over (Courtesy of the Korea Football Association)
“The overall team atmosphere is the biggest reason for the two consecutive defeats,” said Hong Myung-bo, adding, “The players’ fatigue has accumulated due to the attention they have received for off-field matters.” He also cited the team’s different air from the beginning of the season as a reason for the slump.
Ulsan took a day off after the match against Suwon and started sweating the next day. “Under the leadership of coach Hong Myung-bo, the players focused on training with only the Jeju game in mind. The players are united to get out of the crisis,” said a team official.
For Ulsan, who are in desperate need of a win, the showdown with Jeju is a welcome one. Ulsan has met Jeju twice this season, scoring eight goals and winning twice. It’s also good news for Ulsan that Jeju has been hit by a number of transfers recently, and their main players are tired from playing so many games without rest.
However, they can’t relax. Ulsan lost the FA Cup quarter-final against Jeju in June after failing to defend a one-goal lead and conceding an equaliser in penalties. If you relax, you can always expose your opponent’s weaknesses.
After the Jeju match, Ulsan will have about two weeks off for the Coupang Play Series. If they can end their losing streak against Jeju, they will have time to work on their squad during the break. This is why Ulsan should go all out against Jeju.