Gangwon FC added a valuable three points and raised hopes of competing on the Asian stage.
Gangwon defeated Pohang Steelers 1-0 on the strength of Mo Jae-hyun's winning goal in the final match of the Hana Bank K League 1 2025 Round 38 held at Gangneung High1 Arena on the 30th.
With this victory, Gangwon secured fifth place with 52 points (13 wins, 13 draws, 12 losses). At the same time, Seoul's 1-2 loss on the road to Jeonbuk Hyundai left them with 49 points (12 wins, 13 draws, 13 losses). Pohang finished the season in fourth place with 56 points (16 wins, 8 draws, 14 losses).
This left Gangwon and Seoul on opposite ends of fortune. The fifth-place team can hope to qualify for the Asian Football Confederation Champions League 2 for the 2026-2027 season. Seoul's chance to reach next season's Asian competition was dashed.
If Jeonbuk wins the Korea Cup final on the 6th of next month, the ACL2 spot will go to the fifth-place team in K League 1. If Gwangju wins, Gwangju will earn the qualification. From Gangwon's perspective, they must root for Jeonbuk.
A single goal decided the match. In the 17th minute of the second half during a counterattack, Mo Jae-hyun struck the net with a sharp shot from the right side of the box. It was a goal created by a clean counterattack. Gangwon protected that goal until the end to secure the victory.
By contrast, Pohang hung their heads after Lee Ho-jae missed a penalty kick. In the 33rd minute of the first half, Lee Ho-jae went down after his foot was caught by a defender inside the box, earning a penalty. As the designated kicker, he aimed for the corner with a powerful shot, but the ball slammed into the left post. It was Lee Ho-jae's first missed penalty in his professional career.<
[Photo] Provided by Korea Professional Football League (KPFL).
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