Do you miss Ju Min-gyu and Li Yuchenko? Ulsan and Seoul's 'Ninth Risk' in the early stages of the 'Second Round'...We need to get over it with our resourcefulness
Do you miss Ju Min-gyu and Li Yuchenko? Ulsan and Seoul's 'Ninth Risk' in the early stages of the 'Second Round'...We need to get over it with our resourcefulness
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Now, he has passed halfway through the first round robin, but his feared risk of striker No. 9 has become a reality. They are Ulsan HD and FC Seoul, the "defending champions" who have been classified as the "two strongest teams" of the K League 1 in the 2025 season.
Ulsan and Seoul have displayed their flagship goalscorers ahead of this season. Ulsan has said goodbye to Ju Min-gyu (Daejeon), who achieved the top scorer twice (2021, 2023) in the K League 1 and scored double-digit goals for four consecutive seasons until last year. Seoul has said goodbye to Ilyuchenko (Suwon Samsung and Germany), who ranked second (14 goals) in the league last year.
Things are a little different, but in a broader sense, the reasons for the breakup are the same. Joo Min-gyu and Ilyuchenko were born in 1990 side by side. They are in their mid-30s in Korean age. Amid concerns over aging, Ulsan and Seoul searched for a new striker. It is also in line with the colors of Kim Pan-gon of Ulsan and Kim Ki-dong of Seoul, who are ordering rapid transition of offense and defense.
The problem is that both teams have failed to fill the void left by Joo Min-gyu and Li Yuchenko. Striker's talent, which has to focus on offense, is no different from the manager's "area outside of resourcefulness." No matter how good the tactics and process are, it is difficult for a coach to increase his goal-scoring ability at once. The striker's talent takes up a big part. This is why the phrase "goals should be bought with money" is commonly used in the soccer world.
When a striker who has been that good at this level is released, securing a substitute must come first. This is a part that Ulsan and Seoul failed ahead of the season. Ulsan had planned to recruit a Brazilian goaltender to replace Joo Min-gyu, but it was not easy. Eventually, it has depended on Heo Yul, a tall striker born in 2001. Recently, it transfused Erik, another Brazilian striker, but he is not typical of one-top style.
Seoul also failed to recruit a new foreign striker, which was planned for the transfer market last winter. At the end of February, after the opening of the season, he recruited a former Romanian league top scorer, Banks (Croatia), who has not been with him since winter training, so he needs time to adapt.
The two teams had a showdown in the seventh round of the K League 1 at Munsu Stadium in Ulsan on the 5th. There were signs of agony. The team drew 0-0 amid a lack of goal-scoring ability.
Ulsan led the game, but Heo Yul and Eric, who were responsible for the front line in the first and second half, had little effect. Seoul sent Banks as its first starter. The team also included Kim Ki-dong's intention to make him more integrated into the team. However, Banks failed to act as a typical one-top. Too many balls were taken away. There was no linked play with his teammates. In the second half of the year, coach Kim transformed it into a zero-top tactic by taking out banks and putting in Moon Sun-min and Cho Young-wook, but his performance improved. 스포츠토토
As you can see, Joo Min-kyu and Ilyuchenko are flying high in the new team. This is why fans in Ulsan and Seoul are so anxious. Soccer is a "goal." In the end, the current difficulties must be overcome through the resourcefulness of the two leaders.