The 2014 K League Classic season got off to a rousing start as a record number of fans enjoyed a weekend of action-packed soccer.
All 12 clubs got into action over the past two days and the defending champs Pohang Steelers opened with a 1-0 loss to the 2013 runner-ups Ulsan Hyundai at home on Saturday.
It was a rematch of a thrilling season finale from last year.
Ulsan held a two-point lead over Pohang before that game and only needed a draw to secure its first championship. Pohang then scored only seconds before the final whistle for a dramatic 1-0 victory.
Ulsan got the upper hand this time, and striker Kim Shin-wook scored the winner, the very first goal of the 2014 season.
It was a day of personal redemption for Kim. He was suspended for the final contest last season on two yellow cards and watched from the stands as Pohang dashed Ulsan’s title hopes. Kim had been tied with Dejan Damjanovic of FC Seoul for the league lead in goals, but Damjanovic scored on the final day to take sole possession of the crown.
Kim had been questionable for the 2014 season opener, having only returned from Greece on Friday after playing for the Korean national team in a 2-0 victory.
Kim admitted he was fatigued and had trouble concentrating, but the devastating loss to Pohang last year was the main reason he decided to play on Saturday.
“If not for that game last year, I wouldn’t have played,” he said, after playing the entire match. “I really wanted to score against them.”
Pohang and Ulsan may yet battle for the title once again, but they will also likely have to fend off Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, many experts’ pick as the championship favorite.
Jeonbuk’s convincing 3-0 win over Busan IPark on Saturday further served to validate pundits’ belief.
Three different players got on the scoresheet for Jeonbuk, a team long known for its offensive prowess. Jeonbuk was the second-highest scoring team in 2013, after leading the league in goals in 2011 and 2012.
On Feb. 26, Jeonbuk also enjoyed a 3-0 victory, that time over Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan in the opening group stage match of the AFC Champions League.
The team’s offense may be firing on all cylinders, but Jeonbuk isn’t entirely without concerns.
Jeonbuk is one of four K League Classic teams participating in the AFC Champions League this year, along with Pohang, FC Seoul and Ulsan. Some early group stage matches are jampacked into March and April, forcing these teams to make overseas trips during the early period of the domestic season. (Yonhap)
