The Pohang Steelers, led by Kim Ki-dong, may have missed out on the K League 1 title, but they showed once again what Pohang can do by lifting the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup for the first time in a decade. That’s why they’re looking forward to their final “East Coast Derby” of the season on Nov. 12 against 카지노사이트 Ulsan Hyundai, led by Hong Myung-bo.
Pohang won its fifth title the previous day with a 4-2 victory over Jeonbuk Hyundai in the 2023 FA Cup final at Pohang Steel Yard.
The final was originally scheduled to be played twice, home and away, on November 1 and 4, but the semifinals were postponed in August due to the aftermath of the Saemangeum Jamboree and the impact of Typhoon Kanun, turning the final into a single-legged contest.
The winners of the quarterfinals, Pohang and Jeju United, were drawn by lottery to play the final at home, but Pohang’s dramatic victory over Jeju meant that the final would be played at Pohang’s home.
As Kim explains, everything came together. The fact that they hadn’t lost to their final opponents this season (3 wins and 1 draw) also boosted their confidence. When Pohang won the tournament 10 years ago, it was also against Jeonbuk.
Pohang missed out on the regular league title, but their FA Cup victory virtually guaranteed them a spot in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) for the 2024-25 season. This takes some of the pressure off the league’s second-placed team (60 points), which had been an unsettled race until the last minute.
Pohang, who are also leading their group in the ACL this season with three wins from three matches, will host the ‘defending champions’ Urawa Reds on April 8 for their fourth match. A win here would effectively clinch the group lead with 12 points. Pohang won 2-0 away from home against Urawa on March 24.
The ‘East Coast Derby’ against Ulsan at Ulsan Munsoo Stadium on December 12 at 4:30 p.m. seemed to have lost some steam as Ulsan clinched the league title early, but with Pohang winning the FA Cup, it will be a ‘battle of pride’ between the champions.
Pohang is inferior to Ulsan this season with one draw and two losses. It will be interesting to see if Ulsan’s top scorer Lee In-jong-kyu (15 goals and second in scoring) can find the back of the net again against Pohang.
