Having shaken off a slow start to the season, Gangwon FC collides with FC Seoul, which is aiming for its first title in 10 years.
■ Match of the round: Gangwon, four matches unbeaten, vs. Seoul, sole leader of the league
In this 10th round, Gangwon (3rd, 13 points) faces Seoul (1st, 22 points). Both teams rode momentum after recording 3-0 wins in the 9th round during the week.
Gangwon went winless in the first five matches (three draws, two losses) after the opener, but began its run of form with its first win in the sixth round and has continued a four-match unbeaten streak (three wins, one draw). Against Gimcheon, Kim Dae-won scored twice and Abdulla added a goal for a 3-0 victory. In particular, Kim Dae-won has started every match this season, using precise control and kicks to record three goals and two assists. In defense, Lee Ki-hyuk has added energy to the team with steady defending, pressure relief and forward passes. Riding an upward trend, Gangwon will try to extend its unbeaten run to five matches with a win over Seoul.
In his third year as coach, Kim Ki-dong's Seoul suffered its first loss of the season 0-1 to Daejeon in the eighth round, but bounced back immediately by beating Bucheon 3-0 in the ninth round. With a five-point gap over second-place Ulsan, Seoul has maintained a stable balance between offense and defense with 19 goals scored and five conceded in nine matches. Notably, Seoul's strength is having varied attacking routes, with nine different players contributing goals, including Clímala (5 goals) and Song Min-gyu (3 goals). Seoul also ranks near the top in detailed metrics such as shots on target rate (43.8%, 1st) and cross success rate (24.6%, 2nd). Seoul aims to cement its lead based on this momentum.
In the last five meetings between Gangwon and Seoul, the record is evenly matched at two wins, one draw and two losses. The teams, both in good form, will meet for the first time this season on the 25th at 2 p.m. at Gangneung High1 Arena.
■ Team of the round: entering the top-tier competition, 'Incheon'
Incheon, promoted after conquering K League 2, is getting fully underway this season. Incheon (7th, 11 points) beat Jeonbuk 2-1 in the ninth round thanks to consecutive goals by Lee Myung-ju and Lee Dong-ryul. It was a meaningful victory, as Incheon's last win at Jeonbuk's stadium was on Aug. 22, 2015 (1-0), about 11 years earlier.
Of Incheon's 13 goals this season, eight have come in the first half, showing strength early in matches, but against Jeonbuk they showed second-half resilience to secure a come-from-behind win. It is encouraging that, in addition to Mugosa, who accounted for more than half of the team's goals (7 goals), Lee Myung-ju and Lee Dong-ryul each scored their first goals of the season.
Defense also stood out for its solidity. Choi Seung-gu and Lee Joo-yong held the flanks firmly, and Juan Ibiza and Park Kyung-seop effectively cut off the opponent's dangerous crosses. Maintaining concentration until the end on both offense and defense and shoring up weaknesses, Incheon used this victory as a foothold to push into the top tier.
Incheon faces Jeju in the 10th round. Jeju also rode momentum after beating Daejeon 1-0 in the ninth round, showing that coach Sérgio Costa's football is gradually taking hold. The teams' first meeting this season will be on the 25th at 4:30 p.m. at Incheon Football Stadium.
■ Player of the round: Huh Yul (Ulsan) seeks a third straight game with a goal
Ulsan (2nd, 17 points) conceded an early goal in the ninth-round match against Anyang, but earned a 1-1 draw thanks to Huh Yul's header equalizer.
Huh Yul, following his goal in the eighth-round match against Gwangju, also scored in the ninth-round match against Anyang, showcasing his sharp scoring touch. Competing with Yago and Malkyung for the starting striker spot, he mainly comes on as a substitute, but even with short playing time he has shown explosive attacking power and left a strong impression.
Huh Yul's strengths are also evident in supplementary contest data. Standing at an overwhelming 192 cm with dominance in aerial duels, he recorded four successful aerial duel wins in the last two matches.
Ulsan will face Daejeon this round with Huh Yul, who is riding a streak of consecutive goals. The teams' recent 10-game record is deadlocked at four wins, two draws and four losses. Their first meeting this season will be on the 26th at 4:30 p.m. at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium.<
[Photo] Provided by the Korea Professional Football League (KPFL).
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