Jeonbuk claims K-League title

Brazilian duo strikes to beat Ulsan 2-1 in the final


Brazilian forwards Luiz Da Silva Alves and Enio Oliveira scored to see Jeonbuk Motors reclaim the K-League title, beating Ulsan Hyundai 2-1 (4-2 on aggregate) in the league final on Sunday at Jeonju World Cup stadium.

The Motors were always in control, but missed a couple of first-half chances before the visitors took the lead in the early second-half thanks to Seol Ki-hyeon’s strike.

But Enio leveled the score for Jeonbuk with a spot kick and Luiz sealed the game with a superb 68th-minute finish to regain the title they won in 2009.

The Motors started the game with a big advantage as they beat the Hyundai Horangi 2-1 in the first of a two-leg final last week in Ulsan. It finished 2-1, but Jeonbuk could easily have won 4-1 or 5-1.

That they only managed to score two goals was largely because of the brilliance of Ulsan goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang.

After 20 minutes into the game, Enio almost gave Jeonbuk the lead, but saw his curling shot from the edge of the box palmed away by the goalkeeper.

In the 24th minute, striker Lee Dong-guk was brought down just inside the penalty box, but his spot kick was saved by Kim.

After being largely outplayed in the first half, the visitors were much improved in the second period and took the lead in the 66th minute.

Former national team forward Seol cut inside the box before smashing the ball home in the 55th minute. Three minutes later, however, Enio comfortably dispatched his spot kick to level the game.

In the middle of the second half, Ulsan came close to finding the net again. Lucio Da Silva found a delicious cross from the right, but his thumping header hit the woodwork.

Then came the highlight of the game. With Ulsan pressing hard, Jeonbuk’s Luiz decided the match with a quality finish that will live long in league history.

The 170cm-tall forward sprinted on to a long cross, then fended off two defenders before lashing the ball into the top of corner past Kim.

That ended the home side’s two-year title drought and effectively killed off Ulsan’s challenge.

Despite the defeat, Ulsan manager Kim Ho-gon must be content with the team’s progress this season. Ulsan, which finished sixth place in the regular season, has been impressive in the post-season. Kim’s side overcame defending champion FC Seoul in the first round play-off. Then they beat the Suwon Bluewings before edging out Pohang Steelers to reach the finals, only to lose out to Jeonbuk.

“We played five games within a short-period of time. But our players showed their best, I’d like to thank them for making all-out efforts,” Kim said.

Jeonbuk manager Choi Kang-hee praised his opponents, saying they had made the final a memorable game.

“They showed a quality game, and made the final really interesting. I’d like to pay respect to them,” Choi added. 

By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)