Daejeon Hana Citizen blocked Ulsan Hyundai’s record of 7 consecutive wins. Before the game, coach Lee Min-seong’s only order, “Let’s stop Ulsan from winning 7 in a row”, the players answered with a victory against Ulsan for the first time in 12 years, as well as breaking the record.
Daejeon won 2-1 against Ulsan in the Hana One Q K League 1 2023 round 7 home game held at Daejeon World Cup Stadium on the 16th at 4:30 pm.
With the victory on this day, Daejeon sprinkled red pepper powder on Ulsan, which was challenging the record of 7 consecutive victories in the K-League, the third time in 20 years since Suwon Samsung in 1998 and Seongnam Ilhwa in 2003. Daejeon defeated Ulsan for the first time in 12 years since 2011.
Escaped from the shock of losing 3-5 to Suwon FC in the previous round, and rose to 3rd place in the league with 14 points (4 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss), continuing the blast of the promoted team. The home unbeaten run from last season has been extended to 10 games (7 wins, 3 draws).스포츠토토
On the other hand, Ulsan, which missed the record in front of their eyes, tasted the bitter taste of their first defeat in 7 games. With 18 points (6 wins, 1 loss), they could not widen the gap with Pohang Steelers (15 points) in second place.
On that day, 16,359 spectators, including 1,786 away fans from Ulsan, entered the Daejeon World Cup Stadium, demonstrating the heat. Of the four home games Daejeon has played this season, this is the third time that more than 15,000 spectators have attended.
Daejeon operated a 3-4-3 formation with Thiago at the center and Leandro and Bae Jun-ho on both sides. Joo Se-jong and Lee Jin-hyeon worked together in midfield, and Oh Jae-seok and Lee Hyeon-shik stood at left and right wingbacks. Kim Min-deok, Cho Yoo-min and Kim Hyun-woo defended the three-back, and Lee Chang-geun defended the goal.
Ulsan faced the 4-2-3-1 formation with Joo Min-kyu at the forefront and Rubikson, Kang Yun-goo, and Eom Won-sang in the second line. Ataru and Park Yong-woo formed the midfield, and Seol Young-woo, Kim Young-kwon, Kim Ki-hee and Kim Tae-hwan formed the defense. Cho Hyeon-woo kept the goal.
Ahead of the game, manager Lee Min-seong’s concerns, saying, “I’m worried that the players will die against Ulsan, the defending champion and the number one player in the league,” were all but unfounded in the 9th minute of the first half. The balance of the match broke as Lee Jin-hyun’s left-footed shot from the right side of the penalty box was sucked into the Ulsan goal.
Ulsan, which was hit by a blow, was not easily shaken. They rearranged their battle lines and engaged in a fierce midfield battle with Daejeon. He scored in the 18th minute of the first half. Receiving a cross from substitute Kim Min-hyeok, Rubikson counterbalanced it with a powerful left-footed shot from the left side of the penalty box.
Ulsan, who quickly tied the score, began to lead the game. In the 32nd minute of the first half, Rubikson shot a grounder cross from the side, but Lee Chang-geun’s save blocked it. Seol Young-woo’s shot, which shook the net by shooting a flowing ball, was canceled due to Rubikson’s offside decision.
The match, which was seldom able to continue shooting after the score was tied, bore another fruit in the extra time in the first half. Lee Jin-hyun’s missed shot was slightly diverted by Thiago to the chest, and Lee Hyun-sik shook the net with a powerful right-footed shot.
After trailing 1-2, Ulsan coach Hong Myung-bo replaced Kim Tae-hwan at halftime with Cho Hyeon-taek and changed the side defense. Ulsan took the lead in the game and continued the offensive for the equalizer. However, in the counterattack situation, Rubiksson’s shot went off the target. Not to be outdone by this, Daejeon also aimed for an additional goal in a counterattack situation, but Lee Hyun-sik’s shot went to nothing.
In the 15th minute of the second half, Ulsan introduced Lee Cheong-yong and Lee Kyu-seong to change the offense and midfield. However, coach Hong’s winning numbers seldom led to fruition. Rather, through a quick counterattack, Daejeon attacked the space behind Ulsan and aimed for a wedge goal.
As the game progressed towards the second half, Ulsan’s wave of offensive efforts continued to achieve a great record. Even Bakko was put in, putting more weight on the attack. Regardless of the direction, the wave of attacks for equalizers and come-from-behind goals continued.
However, the concentration on the defense of Daejeon was seldom disturbed. Opponent’s shooting was countered by defensive team defense and Lee Chang-geun’s save. In the end, Daejeon won 2-1. The blast of the promoted team Daejeon engulfed the defending champion and leader Ulsan. Ulsan’s challenge to engrave its name in K-League history has also come to an end.