The first East Coast derby of 2025 takes place.
Pohang Steelers and Ulsan Hyundai will compete in their 183rd East Coast derby during the Hana Bank K League 1 2025 Round 6, held at Pohang Steel Yard on the 29th at 4:30 p.m. Currently, Pohang is in 10th place with 5 points (1 win, 2 draws, 2 losses), while the 'defending champion' Ulsan is in 2nd place with 10 points (3 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss).
It seems Pohang is the one that desperately needs the victory. Under the leadership of coach Park Tae-ha, Pohang has shown a truly disastrous season start. They dropped their heads after failing to advance to the round of 16 in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) and began the league with four consecutive winless matches.
Continuing their poor form, Pohang managed to find a foothold for recovery by winning 3-2 in an away match against Gwangju on the 22nd. Just before the end of the match, Kang Hyun-jae scored a dramatic goal, bringing the long-awaited first victory.
Although Ulsan stumbled in the opening match against the promoted team Anyang, they created momentum with 3 wins and 1 draw in the following four matches. The defense, centered on captain Kim Young-kwon, has been stable, allowing only 1 goal in 4 matches. New arrivals Seo Myeong-gwan, Yun Jong-kyu, and Kang Sang-woo have quickly integrated into Ulsan's back four. It’s also encouraging that national team goalkeeper Jo Hyun-woo has returned wearing a mask after suffering a fractured nasal bone.
With the addition of Brazilian forward Eric, Ulsan dreams of avenging last year's Korea Cup final against Pohang. Last season, Ulsan aimed for victory in the K League 1 and Korea Cup but suffered a disappointing 1-3 comeback loss to Pohang after an extended battle in the final.
Ahead of the match, the starting lineups for both teams were revealed. For Pohang, Jo Sang-hyeok, Lee Ho-jae, Kim In-seong, Uh Jeong-won, Oberdan, Hong Yun-sang, Shin Kwang-hoon, Jeon Min-kwang, Han Hyun-seo, Kang Min-jun, and Hwang In-jae will start. Jorge, Kang Hyun-jae, Baek Seong-dong, Lee Heon-jae, Lee Chang-woo, Kim Jong-woo, Lee Tae-seok, Jo Seong-wook, and Yun Pyeong-guk are waiting on the bench.
In response, Ulsan will start with Heo Yul, Eric, Rubikson, Ko Seung-beom, Eom Won-sang, Kim Min-hyeok, Choi Seok-hyun, Kang Sang-woo, Seo Myeong-gwan, Kim Young-kwon, and Jo Hyun-woo. The substitutes include Yago, Lee Hee-kyun, Jung Woo-young, Yun Jae-seok, Lee Cheung-yong, Park Min-seo, Lee Jae-ik, Yun Jong-kyu, and Moon Jeong-in.
[Photo] Provided by the Korea Professional Football League.
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