Ulsan Hyundai,안전놀이터 which had been stagnant for a while, ran two consecutive wins.
Ulsan won 5-1 in the 18th round home game of ‘Hanawon Q K League 1 2023’ against Jeju United held at Munsu Soccer Stadium in Ulsan at 6:00 pm on the 10th.
With this, Ulsan, who had two consecutive victories, accumulated 44 points (14 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses), further solidifying its lead. Ulsan drew 3-3 against Daejeon, ending their 6-game winning streak, and lost 0-2 to Jeonbuk Hyundai in the ‘Hyundai Derby’, ending their uptrend. However, after winning 3-1 in the away game of Suwon FC, they smiled and started to rise again.
Ulsan continued to run alone, ahead of the second-place Pohang Steelers (30 points), who played one game less, by 14 points. This season, they also won two consecutive matches against Jeju.
Jeju, who suffered two consecutive defeats, recorded a draw in the last three games. With 28 points (8 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses), they maintained 4th place in the standings. Jeju, who drew 2-2 with Gangwon FC after two consecutive victories and lost 1-2 to Pohang, suffered a crushing defeat on the day, and the upward trend was dampened. The pursuit of 5th place Daegu FC (27 points), which won the match against Suwon FC that day, also became burdensome.
Ulsan, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, put Joo Min-gyu at the forefront and placed Bako, Ataru, and Kang Yun-gu in the second line. Lee Gyu-seong and Park Yong-woo were in charge of the midfield, and Lee Myeong-jae, Jeong Seung-hyeon, Kim Ki-hee, and Seol Young-woo formed the back 4 defensive line. The goalkeeper’s gloves were worn by Cho Hyeon-woo.
Manager Nam Ki-il’s Jeju had Hayes, Seo Jin-soo, and Kim Dae-hwan in the offensive line, while Ki-hyeok Lee and Bong-soo Kim occupied the midfield. Ji Sang-wook and Ahn Hyeon-beom were positioned as wingbacks, and Jung-woon, Lim Chae-min, and Kim Oh-gyu formed the back 3 defensive camp. The goal was guarded by Kim Dong-jun.
At the beginning of the game, the flow was tight. When Ulsan took the offensive with Ataru and Kang Yun-goo, Jeju counterattacked with Ki-hyeok Lee, Jin-su Seo, Hays, and Chae-min Lim. In the 22nd minute of the first half, Um Won-sang shot the ball that Joo Min-gyu gave in front of the goal, which was blocked by Kim Dong-jun’s save.
In the end, Ulsan scored the first goal in the 31st minute of the first half. Bako gave a space pass to Um Won-sang, who broke through the Jeju defense and infiltrated into the box. Then Um Won-sang got a penalty kick from the left side of the box with Kim Dong-jun in a goal contest. As a kicker, Bakko comfortably scored his 7th goal of the season.
Ulsan, who gained momentum, drove a goal storm in the second half. In the 7th minute of the second half, Um Won-sang dug into the right and scored a goal with a header as Ataru flooded the cross he raised. Ataru scored his debut goal and added a third assist for Um Won-sang of the season.
One minute later, in the 8th minute of the second half, Um Won-sang’s terrifying rush stood out. Eom Won-sang, who caught the ball in his own half of the midfield, bypassed the defender alone and entered the box, beat Dong-jun Kim and scored a goal. Um Won-sang scored a goal for the first time in a long time since the match against Gangwon in March.
In Jeju, Jo Hyun-woo’s successive saves prevented a goal and a chance to score. In the 3rd minute of the second half, Kim Joo-gong’s powerful shot from the right was caught in Cho Hyun-woo’s leg, and in the 20th minute of the second half, Kim Joo-gong’s volley shot also stayed between Cho Hyun-woo’s crotch.
Ulsan even added Ju Min-kyu’s key goal in the 25th minute of the second half. Joo Min-gyu controlled Bako’s cross from the right with his right foot and finished it with a right-footed turning shot before the ball dropped. Leading scorer Joo Min-kyu’s 10th goal of the season.
Jeju scored a goal in the 33rd minute of the second half amidst a mistake by Ulsan’s defense. Inside the box, Ulsan Lee Kyu-seong tried to take the ball out to the side, but Jeju striker Yuri Jonatan’s feet caught him, and Yuri Jonatan calmly scored the goal. It was the 6th goal of the season for Yuri Jonatan.
Afterwards, Jeju launched an onslaught for an additional goal. However, they faced a crisis from Ulsan’s counterattack. Ulsan kept the victory with Lee Cheong-yong, Martin Adam, and Cho Hyun-taek put in. In the second half of extra time, Bako scored an additional goal and scored a multi-goal.