Written by Han Bing In the early October second round of the AFC Champions League Elite, Shanghai Shenhua and Chengdu Rongcheng will exchange their Korean opponents from the first round. Both sides lost 1-2 to Gangwon FC and Ulsan Hyundai with identical scores in the first round, and now at home in early October, they strive to gain points or even secure victory. Rongcheng and Shenhua remain contenders for the CSL championship and dare not let their guard down. However, the two Korean opponents also cannot slack off in the K League 1; Gangwon FC is fighting to enter the championship playoff group, while Ulsan Hyundai has even fallen to battling relegation.

Ulsan Focused on Survival, No Time for AFC Champions League

Ulsan Hyundai is the most valuable team in the K League 1, yet now they must fight to avoid relegation, which is truly regrettable. In early August, Ulsan changed coaches, with Shin Tae-yong replacing Kim Pan-gon, but the team’s performance did not improve. Apart from a 1-0 home win against bottom-ranked Jeju United in the opener, they have gone six league matches without a win, with their only victory being a 2-1 home win over Chengdu Rongcheng, who fielded their main squad for only half the game.

After a 1-1 away draw against Daegu FC, Shin Tae-yong admitted that without goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo’s heroic saves, Ulsan Hyundai might have ended up with no points at all. Ulsan not only has no chance to enter the championship playoff, but must focus on survival. The next two regular season matches and five relegation playoff games require full effort, making it hard to concentrate on the AFC Champions League Elite.

Shin Tae-yong believes the poor performance mainly stems from too many competitions, leaving players exhausted. During the September international break, Shin adjusted training plans and took the team to Gangwon Province for a short camp. However, results were minimal; in subsequent league games, despite frequent rotation to test players, the offense showed no improvement. Additionally, Ulsan’s defense remains unstable. Shin retained Kim Pan-gon’s three-center-back system, with former Guangzhou Evergrande foreign player Kim Young-gwon among them. Ulsan’s defense fears counterattacks and is often penetrated by opponents’ quick passes.

In the first match against Chengdu Rongcheng, compared to the previous league away game versus Pohang Steelers, Shin Tae-yong kept only goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo, defender Trojak, and rookie forward Baek In-woo, rotating eight players. But early in the second half, he brought on main striker Huh Ryul, winger Farias, and defender Jung Seung-hyun, then later main defensive midfielder Lee Jin-hyeon and winger Yum Won-sang. With seven starters on the field, Ulsan quickly scored and sealed the win. For the upcoming away match against Shanghai Shenhua, considering rising relegation pressure, Shin is expected to continue heavy rotation.

Former CSL player Marquinhos will likely remain in the starting lineup, but Shin Tae-yong may switch to a 3-4-3 formation to help the team quickly take control within a familiar tactical setup. In the away game at Daegu, 19-year-old rookie Baek In-woo scored his first goal for Ulsan but probably won’t start again. Praised by Shin, left wing-back Park Min-seo and substitute right winger Choi Seok-hyun are expected to continue receiving ample playing time. Shin admits the team’s focus is on securing points in the league to ensure early survival.

Doubtful Fighting Spirit from Gangwon to Enter Championship Group

Gangwon FC’s rival for a championship playoff spot is Gwangju FC; with two regular season rounds left, both teams have equal points, making it difficult for Gangwon FC to invest more effort in the AFC Champions League. Gangwon once went six matches unbeaten but recently failed to win consecutive games, showing a dip in form. In the first round of the AFC Champions League Elite home match against Shenhua, Gangwon rotated their entire starting lineup compared to the prior league match against FC Seoul, even more thoroughly than Ulsan Hyundai. The team fielded only one foreign player, Brazilian striker Gabriel, who recently lost his starting spot due to poor form and is now a substitute.

On September 27, Gangwon FC drew 0-0 at home with Daejeon Hana Citizen, with only defender Park Ho-young starting who had also started against Shenhua. Left winger Koo Bon-cheol, who scored against Shenhua but had to leave due to injury, has now recovered and came on as a substitute last Saturday; he is expected to start again against Rongcheng. Additionally, winger Kim Do-hyun and veteran right-back Hong Jeong will continue to start.

Gangwon FC registered only two foreign players for the AFC Champions League: Brazilian forward Gabriel and Montenegrin defender Tuci, relying little on foreign players. In summer, the club dismissed Guinea-Bissau foreigner Balde, who previously played for Nantong Zhiyun and Wuhan Three Towns, causing him to miss the chance to face CSL opponents in the AFC Champions League. Gangwon also signed forward Kim Geon-hee, Kim Sin-jin, midfielder Kim Da-won, defender Seo Min-woo, and Gwangju FC’s Brazilian forward Oliveira during summer, but Oliveira was not registered for the AFC Champions League.

After a disappointing home draw last weekend, Gangwon FC head coach Jung Kyung-ho said that although the score was regrettable, he was fairly satisfied with the match content. However, after three consecutive wins in the K League 1, Gangwon has now gone several games without a win, and the team’s poor offensive output has disappointed Korean media. For the upcoming away match against Rongcheng, Jung hopes to at least secure a point.

Jung Kyung-ho was promoted from assistant to head coach at the end of last year, marking his first independent coaching role. Previously, he had no direct encounters with Rongcheng head coach Seo Jeong-won, except when he was assistant at Sangju Sangmu from 2017 to 2018 and Seo was coaching Suwon Samsung Bluewings. At that time, Sangju Sangmu had two draws and three losses without a win against Suwon. Now facing Seo as a head coach in an away match, Jung hopes to end his winless streak.