SEOUL– For the first time in 17 years, Ulsan Hyundai FC are the champions of South Korean football.
Ulsan celebrated their K League 1 title with a 2-1 victory over Gangwon FC on Sunday. They improved to 76 points with one match remaining, ensuring that their closest pursuers, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors with 67 points, cannot catch them over their final two games.
This is Ulsan’s third K League 1 title and their first since 2005. Jeonbuk had won the past five titles in a row, but that record streak came to a screeching halt Sunday.
At Songam Sports Town in Chuncheon, 75 kilometers northeast of Seoul, Um Won-sang volleyed home the crucial equalizer for Ulsan in the 74th minute, nine minutes after Kim Dae-won’s penalty put Gangwon up 1-0.
A draw would have sufficed for Ulsan, but forward Martin Adam put the finishing touch with the tiebreaking marker in the 85th minute.
Ulsan had an opportunity to clinch the title Tuesday, but they settled for a 1-1 draw with Pohang Steelers when a victory would have taken care of business.
Jeonbuk kept their title hopes alive by beating Gangwon FC that same day, but it only ended up delaying what had seemed inevitable, as Ulsan got the job done in their second try.
Ulsan had finished in second place to Jeonbuk in each of the past three seasons and suffered some late-season meltdowns in all of them.
The specter of yet another collapse loomed large in mid-September, when Ulsan’s lead over Jeonbuk was cut in half over a two-week span to five points with six matches to go.
But Ulsan landed a massive blow on Jeonbuk on Oct. 8 with a 2-1 victory. Both of Ulsan’s goals came during stoppage time, as Martin Adam first converted a penalty for the equalizer and then headed home the winner.
That thrilling win gave Ulsan some breathing room with an eight-point lead, and there will be no late swoon this time.
Ulsan first climbed to the top of the tables following a 1-0 win over Jeonbuk on March 6 and will finish the season there.
Ulsan controlled the run of play from early on, but Gangwon goalkeeper Yu Sang-hun stood on his head to keep the match scoreless.
Yu made a huge diving save on Valeri Qazaishvili from close range in the 10th minute and denied Kim Min-jun and Leonardo in succession in a chaotic sequence in the 14th minute.
Gangwon, who had a goal wiped out on an offside call in the 21st minute, struck first in the 65th minute. Qazaishvili was called for a foul in the area when he tripped up Jung Seung-yong. Forward Kim Dae-won stepped up for the spot kick and beat goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo for the 1-0 lead.
Um then leveled the score in the 74th with a volley, after Adam headed down a cross from Lee Myung-jae.
Adam then got in on the scoring act in the 85th minute, converting on a headed pass by Kim Kee-hee in the goalmouth.
Source: Yonhap News Agency