Ulsan beats 'Lee Sang-heon's' Gangwon with Sunggol Youth Lee Dong-kyung

Ulsan HD will try to win consecutive games against Gangwon FC on its home turf. 안전놀이터

Ulsan will play a home game in the seventh round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 against Gangwon at 4:30 p.m. on the 13th at Munsu Football Stadium.

Ulsan, which has played six games, is in third place with three wins, two draws and one loss and 11 points. Amid the unusually biting battle this season, if Ulsan beats fifth-place Gangwon and gets three points, it can go up to the lead depending on the results of the other team (13 points for Pohang Steelers in first place and 12 points for Gimcheon Sangmu in second place).

Ulsan beat Suwon FC 3-0 in the sixth round on the 6th thanks to consecutive goals from Lee Dong-kyung, Rubik's Son, and Joo Min-kyu. It has proved to be a natural enemy with nine consecutive wins against Suwon FC, along with the recent three games winless (two draws and one loss).

Lee Dong-kyung, who opened the scoring with the first goal on the day, has five goals and two assists in six league matches, scoring more than one attack point per game. He ranks first in overall attack points with Lee Sang-hun (seven goals) of Gangwon Province. Coincidentally, the ace pitchers of the two teams, who are ranked first and second in score, will have a showdown in this match.

Another thing to watch is that both players are from Ulsan's under-18 youth team "Hyundai High School." Lee Dong-kyung and Lee Sang-heon were born in 1997 and 1998, respectively, and were a year old, and they once wore the uniforms of Hyundai High School and shared a meal together. Although the roots are the same, attention is being paid to how the two players, who finally meet as opposing teams through different professional stage journeys, will play. Furthermore, attention is being paid to who will score more offensive points between Lee Dong-kyung, who has recorded seven offensive points with five points and two assists, and Lee Sang-hun, who has recorded seven offensive points with seven points.

In the last match against Suwon FC, Ulsan's leading goaltender Ju Min-gyu finally exploded. In February, he scored three goals in the first and second legs of the round of 16 of the AFC Champions League (ACL) against Banpo Re Go-hoo, but he did not score in the league. In the match against Suwon FC, he was substituted in the second half and played on the ground, and in extra time, he finished Kim Min-woo's pass at the gate, reporting his first goal in the league in five games. He scored in the official game for the first time in 45 days since the match against Go-hoo.

Ulsan, whose powerful firepower has begun to flare up again, with the yellow-headed Swedish man Rubik'sson (one goal and one assist) also reporting his first goal in five league games.

What's most encouraging is that the shaky defense has regained stability. Hwang Seok-ho and Lim Jong-eun's lines have been activated to greet Suwon FC. With the ever-shining goalie Jo Hyeon-woo, he locked the opponent team's onslaught, and secured a win without allowing a single point in five games since the match against the Pohang Steelers (1-0 win) on March 1.

All that needs to be done is Um Won-sang. Um Won-sang made two assists in the first and second games of the ALC round with Go Hoo, but he did not have any offensive points in the three league games. One of the reasons for pinning his hopes on Um Won-sang is that he has many good memories in Gangwon. Since wearing the Ulsan uniform in the 2022 season, Um Won-sang has achieved four goals and two assists in seven games against Gangwon. Attention is focusing on whether Um Won-sang will give his team a point by scoring his first goal in the league this season.

Ulsan had two wins and one loss in three matches against Gangwon last season. It lost 0-2 at an away match against Gangwon on Aug. 12 last year, ending its 11-year undefeated 25 matches (21 wins, four draws) in Gangwon, but still holds an absolute advantage with 26 wins, five draws and three losses in total. The team plans to accelerate preparations for the upcoming semifinal match between the F. Marinos of Yokohama, which will herald its victory at its home turf, and the semifinal match of ACL (Munsu Football Stadium at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the first round match, and Yokohama International Stadium at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in the second round).