The dictionary meaning of ‘IF’ is ‘if ~ if’. <IF Reporters> started with the idea that anyone can become a professional football reporter with the slogan, ‘If I become a football reporter’. <IF Reporters> with ‘Po4Two’, the ‘No.1’ football magazine that publishes the most circulation in the world, shares various football news from the K-League to the EPL and La Liga. Look forward to it! [Editor’s note]
I have to overcome you to live. Contrary to expectations, which were strong candidates for the championship, Incheon and Jeonbuk, which are going downhill this season, are facing a head-to-head confrontation and aiming for a leap forward.
Incheon United and Jeonbuk Hyundai will play the 13th round of ‘Hana One Q K League 1 2023’ at 4:30 pm on the 14th at the Incheon Soccer Stadium. Incheon are currently in 10th place with 12 points, while Jeonbuk are in 8th place with 14 points.
Incheon and Jeonbuk finished last season with good results. Incheon advanced to the Asian Champions League stage for the first time in the club’s history by finishing in 4th place, while Jeonbuk kept their pride by winning the league runner-up and the FA Cup. Afterwards, he succeeded in massive reinforcement in the winter transfer market and was considered a strong opponent of the ‘defending champion’ Ulsan Hyundai.
However, it was different from expectations. At the same time as the opening, Jeonbuk and Incheon were both sluggish. Immediately after the first round robin, in which 12 teams faced each other once, the rankings of the two teams were 10th and 9th, respectively. It was a completely different result from last year’s move, when it ranked in the top 4 and was considered a favorite for the championship.
Incheon won 3 wins, 3 draws and 6 losses in 12 matches, and only finished in 10th place with 12 points. Pohang, who had been running undefeated, suffered their first loss and won the away match, aiming for a reversal of the mood, but they tasted the humiliation of giving Suwon, who was in a draw, their first victory. Afterwards, in the last game, Jeju Expedition, they collapsed powerlessly under the onslaught of the opponent and lost 0-2.
A decisive shot was lacking. Incheon’s up-and-coming rookie Cheon Seong-hun was out of power ahead of the Suwon match on the 5th. Striker Cheon Seong-hun, who won the K League 1 Young Player Award in April with 3 goals in 4 matches, will be out for 6-8 weeks due to injury. Incheon formed an attacking team of Jerso, Hernandez, and Kim Bo-seop to deal with Jeju, but did not pose a major threat. Incheon, which only scored 11 points in 12 games and is ranked 10th in scoring, needs to revive.
Jeonbuk is also going through a difficult time. From the start of the season, they seldom won and recorded 6 losses in 10 games, putting them in the bottom ranks. To make matters worse, injured players such as Kim Jin-soo and Cho Kyu-seong appeared one after another, and the main members were also shaken. Jeonbuk fans’ antipathy intensified, and a boycott of cheering and a ‘beomak’ act began. In the 10th round against Gangwon, Hong Jeong-ho and Kim Moon-hwan, who strongly objected to the decision, were sent off with a red card, and a penalty was imposed for intruding into the crowd.안전놀이터
In the end, Jeonbuk, which was driven into the worst situation, decided to sack the manager, and has been regaining its mood since then. Coach Kim Sang-shik voluntarily resigned on the 4th, and coach Kim Doo-hyun acted as the manager, and the match against Seoul in the 11th round ended in a 1-1 draw. Then, in the 12th round, Baek Seung-ho’s multi-goal led to a 3-0 victory over the lowest ranked Suwon, and it jumped to 7th place. In both games, Jeonbuk showed an aggressive game as the opening goal was scored in the first minute. The supporters also started responding by singing the cheering song again from the game against Seoul.
As for the total record of both teams, Jeonbuk has the advantage with 16 wins, 12 draws and 4 losses. Jeonbuk won 2-0 in the third round, the first time they faced each other this year. However, it is noteworthy that the record against Incheon at home is boiling with 1 win, 3 draws and 1 loss in the last 6 matches.
It seems that Jeonbuk’s core power will survive. Ryu Jae-moon and Lee Dong-jun, who left due to injuries, returned from the last match against Suwon. Cho Kyu-seong is also expected to continue a good trend if he shows up in Incheon. On the other hand, Incheon has a strong midfield line between Shin Jin-ho and Lee Myung-joo, but it is still not producing a clear effect. Incheon will have to find several ways to get out of the relegation zone.