Jeju United stumbled out of the gate as they failed to capitalize on their ‘upward’ trend.
Jeju, led by Nam Ki-il, lost 0-1 to Suwon Samsung Electronics in the 27th round of the Hana OneQ K League 1 2023 at Suwon World Cup Stadium on April 18. Without a point, Jeju (34 points) remained in ninth place. The gap between them and 10th-place Suwon FC (26 points) has been reduced to eight points.
Jeju snapped a 10-match winless streak (four draws and six losses) with a 3-0 victory over Suwon FC in the 26th round. However, the relegation-fighting Suwon were outplayed. Jeju recorded 12 shots, five on target, but could not find the back of the net.
The summer slide continues As the weather heats up in the summer, Jeju’s location makes traveling back and forth between home and away by plane and bus a difficult task. Jeju suffered a summer slump once again this season. They went through a 10-match winless streak that they were unable to break out of.
In their five games in May, Jeju won four and drew one, collecting 13 points. They seemed to be in the running for the top two. However, things started to slide in June. Jeju didn’t rebound, going 2-2-2 in June and 1-1-3 in July. In three games in August, they have one win and one draw.
The good news is that they are still within striking distance of mid-table. They’re only one game behind sixth-place Incheon United (37 points), which is the final Final A spot. They are also less than two games behind fourth-place FC Seoul (39 points). If Jeju goes on a winning streak or an unbeaten run like they did in May, they could leapfrog into the top half of the table in no time.
At this point, Jeju’s realistic goal is to make it to Final A. It will likely take until Round 33 to determine who makes it to Final A. There are six games left before the final round. 바카라사이트 Even so, Jeju’s goal shouldn’t stop at reaching Final A.
Jeju has been in Final A for two years in a row since returning to the K League 1 stage. They finished fourth in 2021 and fifth last season. However, they did not qualify for the Asian Champions League (ACL), which was their goal. This season, they’re aiming to qualify for the ACL again, but it’s not going to be easy at this point. Of course, Jeju, who are in the quarterfinals of the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup, could still secure a spot in the ACL by winning the title.
Jeju finished third in both 2021 and 2022 in terms of player salary expenditure. This season is expected to be similar. It’s one of those clubs that doesn’t skimp on investment. Let’s not forget their ambitious goal of breaking the “two-state” system.
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