More than halfway through the season, there is a fierce battle for position in the K League 1. At the bottom of the table, teams are fighting to avoid relegation to the K League 2 카지노사이트 (second division), and in the middle of the table, teams are battling for a spot in the top split.
According to the Korea Professional Football Association on Tuesday, after 25 games per team this season, the bottom of the K League 1 is Gangwon FC with just 17 points. In 11th place are Suwon Samsung (18 points) and Suwon FC (23 points). The gap isn’t huge, so the standings can change depending on the outcome of each game.
There’s a big difference between 12th and 11th place, even though they’re in the same bracket. The 12th place team is automatically relegated in favour of the K League 2 winner. The 11th place team has a chance to stay up through a home-and-home relegation playoff against the K League 2 runner-up. The 10th-placed team will play the winner of the play-off between the 3rd and 5th-placed teams in the K League 2.
However, things are not looking good for the bottom teams. Suwon FC defeated Suwon Samseong 2-0 on 5 May, thanks to the performance of midfielder Lee Seung-woo. However, the team suffered a major setback when foreign player Ras was suspended after being caught drink-driving on the 7th. Rath was second in the league with 14 offensive points (nine goals, five assists) this season.
Kangwon will host league leaders Ulsan Hyundai on the 12th. Kangwon has lost to Ulsan twice this season. They have an absolute disadvantage in their head-to-head record over the past 11 years, with four draws and 21 losses. Suwon Samsung also have the pressure of hosting third-placed Jeonbuk Hyundai in a Round 26 match on the same day.
In the mid-table, the ‘fight for sixth place’ is in full swing. From round 34 onwards, the final round will see the teams in first to sixth place and seventh to 12th place split into groups A-B. The sixth-placed team must be in Group A to remain in contention for the title.
Only seven points separate fourth-placed FC Seoul (38) from ninth-placed Jeju United (31). That’s a lot of points to drop in a hurry. Gwangju FC (37 points) and Daegu FC (34 points) are fifth and sixth respectively, but they’re not safe. Seventh and eighth-placed Daejeon Hana Citizens and Incheon United (both on 33 points) are looking to change their fortunes.
Daejeon will face Seoul on the 13th and Incheon will face Daegu. Both teams are in the mid-table, and the standings will once again be shaken up by the results of Round 26. Daejeon has one win and one draw against Seoul this season, while Incheon and Daegu have drawn twice.
Article courtesy of Kookmin Ilbo