SEOUL– With the South Korean football title within their grasp, Ulsan Hyundai FC settled for a 1-1 draw with Pohang Steelers on Tuesday.
Ulsan would have locked down the K League 1 championship with a victory in the latest “East Coast Derby” at Pohang Steel Yard in Pohang, some 380 kilometers southeast of Seoul. Valeri Qazaishvili gave Ulsan the lead with his 40th-minute goal, but Pohang leveled the score in the 79th minute courtesy of Lee Ho-jae’s header.
Ulsan can still claim the league trophy for the first time in 17 years later Tuesday. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are now nine points back of Ulsan, at 73-64, with three matches left, and as long as Jeonbuk don’t defeat Gangwon FC later Tuesday, the title will be Ulsan’s.
Jeonbuk must win all of their remaining games to have a shot at winning their sixth consecutive title.
Ulsan head coach Hong Myung-bo apologized to the club’s fans who made the trip to Pohang and asked for more patience.
“It would have been great to secure the title with a victory here. But this was an away match against a tough opponent,” Hong said. “Even though we picked up only one point, I think this is a huge point for us.”
After some cagey, careful moments on either end with few dangerous chances, Qazaishvili put Ulsan on the board in the 40th minute.
Winger Um Won-sang sent a cross from the right wing with pinpoint accuracy, and all Qazaishvili had to do was get his foot on the ball to redirect it into the net. Pohang forward Heo Yong-jun was trailing Qazaishvili on the play and couldn’t quite contain the Georgian midfielder when the pass came over.
Trying to make the slim lead stand, Ulsan locked down defensively in the early moments of the second half. Pohang controlled the ball the majority of the time but couldn’t quite find the lane or space for the equalizer.
Substitute Lim Sang-hyub tested Ulsan goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo with a close-range strike in the 71st, while Heo Yong-jun misfired from near the penalty spot when a long cross found him alone in the 74th minute.
Pohang finally solved Ulsan’s defense in the 79th, when substitute Lee Ho-jae headed in a Lim Sang-hyub cross to make it 1-1. Lee jumped over center back Kim Young-gwon to score for the first time in 2022.
Ulsan had one last chance to reclaim the lead during stoppage time. But Leonardo’s left-footed shot on a fast break rolled right to goalkeeper Kang Hyeon-mu, setting up a potentially anticlimactic celebration of Ulsan’s championship.
Hong said he did not ask his players to set up a low block and play defense for the entire second half.
“We weren’t able to apply pressure up front, and we were pushed back a little bit,” Hong said. “I don’t think the guys were consciously trying to protect our lead. We just lost a bit of our focus toward the end. We’ll have to regroup quickly to get ready for the next game.”
Source: Yonhap News Agency