The Pohang Steelers only need to pop the champagne for their 50th anniversary party, but it’s a different kind of party: the Jeonbuk Hyundai.
Pohang will host Jeonbuk in the 15th round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 on Sept. 29 at 4:30 p.m. at Steelyard. Pohang is in fourth place with 24 points (6 wins, 6 draws, 2 losses), while Jeonbuk is in seventh place with 18 points (5 wins, 3 draws, 6 losses).
After an unbeaten start to the season, Pohang faltered after being stunned by Incheon United. They followed that up with a loss to Jeju United and a draw with Daegu FC. Pohang turned things around with a 3-2 win over Daejeon Hana Citizens, but were unable to keep pace with bottom-placed Gangwon FC. In the FA Cup Round of 16 midweek last week, Pohang won 3-0 against Seongnam FC to raise the spirits ahead of the Jeonbuk match.
Pohang has scheduled the match against Jeonbuk to mark its 50th anniversary. Of the 13 players who were inducted into the club’s own Hall of Fame on the 40th anniversary, five legends will be in attendance: Lee Hoe-taek, Lee Heung-sil, Gong Moon-bae, Park Tae-ha, and Hwang Sun-hong. Also in attendance will be Kim Kwang-seok, Hwang Jin-sung, Shin Shinh-yong, and Hwang Ji-soo, who will be inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame on its 50th anniversary.
In addition to the Hall of Fame ceremony, there will be other events. From special merchandise to trotting singers to 50th anniversary chants, Pohang has gone all out to celebrate the historic day. The excitement is palpable. The stadium sold out on May 26, three days before the game. It’s been six years since their last home game against Gwangju FC on March 12, 2017.
Now all they need is a win. Pohang defeated Jeonbuk 2-1 in their last meeting thanks to a Zeca theater goal. Despite Zeca, Pohang’s strikers have been in very good form of late. Lee Ho-jae showed off his goalscoring prowess in the FA Cup, while Go Young-joon and Baek Sung-dong are leading the charge with five and four goals respectively. Kim In-sung, Kim Seung-dae, Kim Jun-ho, and Lee Seung-mo are all capable of contributing in the attack at any given time.
Jeonbuk will want to disrupt Pohang’s 50th anniversary party. After faltering under Kim Sang-sik, Jeonbuk has stabilized under Kim Doo-hyun. In their last four games (two wins and two draws), they have not lost and have conceded only two goals while scoring six. They are currently the lowest conceding team in the K League 1.먹튀검증
The defense is solid. They need goals. Their top scorer is Moon Sun-min, but he only has three goals. Considering the name of Jeonbuk, this is very disappointing. They’ll be hoping that Gustavo, who scored four goals in the FA Cup, can continue his dominance in the league. The returning Cho Kyu-sung and Hapa Silva, who is still adjusting to the K League, are also ready to break out. It remains to be seen if the game against Pohang will be the starting point.
