Ulsan HD: How did they fare against teams in Final A in 2024 K League 1? | OneFootball

Ulsan HD FC are five points clear at the top of the K League after another grueling regular season. However, the Ulsan faithful shouldn't start the celebrations just yet as the road to the third successive title is far from easy.  By Guest contributor Parameswaran P Sankaranarayanan

The league leaders, who won only six of their 16 away league fixtures, will travel to Gimcheon, Pohang, and Seoul. Meanwhile, they will host fellow title contenders Gangwon FC and sixth-placed Suwon FC.

Ahead of the K League 1 2024 playoffs, let us look at Ulsan’s record against teams that qualified for Final A.

vs. Gimcheon Sangmu

Second-placed Gimcheon Sangmu FC, the 2023 K League 2 champions, is one of the biggest surprise packages in this edition of K League 1. However, Ulsan has an excellent record against the military outfit, picking up seven points from an available nine.

Ulsan survived a second-half comeback scare against the newly promoted side in the Round 2 fixture in Gimcheon. Lee Dong-gyeong’s brace and a goal from Jang Si-young gave Ulsan a three-goal lead early in the match. In the second half, Kim Hyeon-ug scored twice in three minutes for the hosts. But Ulsan held on to their narrow lead.

In the reverse fixture, Ulsan had to settle for a point as Gimcheon fought back twice from being a goal down to earn a 2-2 draw. Kim Tae-hyun’s excellent left-footed strike in the final minute of the stoppage time helped his team share the spoils with Ulsan.

Ulsan clinched all three points at home in the third fixture. The league leaders, trailed by a goal at half-time, grabbed the win courtesy of goals from Ko Seung-beom and Brazilian Yago Cariello. It was Ulsan’s 12th league win at home.

Round 2 - Gimcheon Sangmu 2-3 Ulsan HDRound 12 - Ulsan HD 2-2 Gimcheon SangmuRound 33 - Ulsan HD 2-1 Gimcheon Sangmu

vs. Pohang Steelers

Ulsan’s fixtures against Pohang Steelers this season entertained their fans and neutrals. With two wins at home, the league leaders hold the edge over the Steelers.

Japanese midfielder Ataru Esaka scored the lone goal in the K League 1 2024 opener between Ulsan and Pohang Steelers at Munsu Football Stadium. Making matters worse for the visitors, centre-back Jonathan Aspropotamitis was shown a straight red in the 88th minute.

The Steelers got their revenge after a 2-1 win over Ulsan in June. Hong Yun-sang and Lee Ho-jae scored early in the first half for the hosts. Though the reigning champions pulled a goal back through Ko Seung-beom, Park Tae-ha’s men didn’t concede again in the match.

The third meeting between both teams was a nine-goal feast. Ulsan led 4-1 by the hour mark, thanks to goals from their overseas contingent. Pohang pulled a goal back with six minutes left on the clock, but Kim Young-gwon reinstated the three-goal cushion immediately. The Steelers scored two more goals in the dying minutes to ensure a dramatic finish to the match.

Round 1 - Ulsan HD 1-0 Pohang SteelersRound 20 - Pohang Steelers 2-1 Ulsan HDRound 29 - Ulsan HD 5-4 Pohang Steelers

Ulsan have had it easy against Gangwon FC this season. Though the Kim Kee-hee-led side lost in Chuncheon, they grabbed comfortable victories in the two matches at home.

Two goals from Joo Min-kyu and a goal each from Lee Dong-gyeong and Um Won-sang saw Ulsan thrash Gangwon in the opening match between the two teams. It remains Ulsan’s biggest winning margin in the league this campaign.

Gangwon claimed a solitary-goal victory over Ulsan at home in May. Yago Cariello, who joined Ulsan two months later, scored the winner for Gangwon after the hour mark. The visitors were wasteful up front and had two disallowed goals.

Ulsan eased to a 2-0 win against Gangwon when the two sides met for the third time. Kang Yun-gu, the 22-year-old, took the lead early in the first half. Ataru Esaka, who replaced Yun-gu at half-time, added a second goal for Ulsan in the 79th minute.

Round 7 - Ulsan HD 4-0 Gangwon FCRound 13 - Gangwon FC 1-0 Ulsan HDRound 30 - Ulsan HD 2-0 Gangwon FC

vs. FC Seoul

Ulsan clinched seven points in three games against FC Seoul, who have made it to Final A for the first time since 2019. The Ulsan backline kept a clean sheet both at home and away against FC Seoul.

Martin Adam was the men in blue’s hero at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The Hungarian international slotted home an injury-time penalty to pick up all three points and their first clean sheet away from home in the league this season.

The hosts let a two-goal half-time lead slip against FC Seoul in the reverse fixture. An early goal from Joo Min-kyu and an own goal before the break put Ulsan in the driving seat. However, Stanislav Iljutcenko’s brace saw the visitors grab a crucial point.

In the third fixture, Joo Min-kyu netted the winner in the added time. The victory also helped Ulsan end a three-game winless run in the league.

Round 11 - FC Seoul 0-1 Ulsan HDRound 17 - Ulsan HD 2-2 FC SeoulRound 23 - Ulsan HD 1-0 FC Seoul

With just one win in three matches, Ulsan have struggled the most against Suwon FC among teams that reached the Final A. Also, Suwon is among the few teams that have inflicted a home defeat on Ulsan this season.

Ulsan overpowered Suwon 3-0 in the first league meeting. Lee Dong-gyeong gave the home side an early lead with a fine finish, while Gustav Ludwigson and Joo Min-kyu found the target in the second half.

Both teams had to settle for a point in Suwon in the second fixture. After a goalless first half, Ulsan went ahead through Ataru Esaka at the hour mark. Suwon leveled the game courtesy of Kang Sang-yoon in the 72nd minute.

A ten-man Ulsan succumbed to a narrow defeat at the hands of Suwon in August. Joo Min-kyu was sent off for elbowing Lee Jae-won. Suwon took advantage of the extra man, resulting in a rare home defeat for Ulsan.