Seoul E-Land find themselves within touching distance of the top flight yet are tasked with their toughest task in their 10 year history. The Leopards welcome nine-times K League winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors to Mokdong on Sunday for a promotion-relegation playoff final in what would have been considered an improbable matchup at the start of the season. The Green Warriors have not had the brightest of campaigns but will be wary of allowing the home side to cause an upset in this first leg.
Overview & Match Information
Fixture: Seoul E-Land vs. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Competition: Promotion-Relegation Playoff 2 1st Leg
Venue: Mokdong Sports Complex, Seoul
Date: Sunday, 1st December 2024, 16:00 KST
Recent Form
Seoul E-Land go into the weekend's game after last Sunday's enthralling playoff clash with Jeonnam Dragons. Having found themselves behind by two goals with 75 minutes passed, the Leopards were able to stage a comeback to level proceedings and progress on home advantage. Kim Sin-jin commenced the come back on 77 minutes, converting the rebound that ricocheted off the upright and into his path. Then, 20-year-old Baek Ji-ung, found the perfect time to score his first professional goal, heading in from close range to bring things level. It looked as if things were to be even easier when the Leopards put the ball in the back of the net again to cap off a wild five minutes of football. However, an offside in the build-up meant the home faithful were forced to wait it out for an uncomfortable ten minutes before their progression was finally confirmed.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ended their regular K League with a 1-1 draw away to Gwangju FC, meaning that the former nine-time Champions collected just one victory after the league split in total. Tiago Orobo found himself on the scoresheet but saw his effort cancelled out by a late equaliser by the hosts. Despite four goals in their final two rounds, the Green Warriors had been on a spell of three matches without a goal while also boasting the unwanted record of the leakiest defence. They have also not won away since early September and, with Mokdong expected to be a high capacity, could face difficult conditions on Sunday.
Playoff History
Sunday will mark the first time these two sides have encountered each other across any competition. Separated by a division, Seoul E-Land and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have contrasting fortunes and objectives. The Leopards are in their second play-off campaign, having last fought for a place in the upper division a decade ago. They have fared better on this occasion, progressing past Jeonnam and reaching the final for the first time. On the other hand, the Green Warriors had never finished in the bottom half since the split system was introduced in K League 1 and subsequently have never found themselves ending the year in a relegation spot. It will ultimately be a new challenge for both these sides come Sunday when they clash at Mokdong Stadium.
What to Watch
Can Kim Do-kyun's prowling Leopards prey on Jeonbuk's vulnerable defence?
Kim Do-kyun has been here before. Twice, in fact. Having led Suwon FC back to the top flight through the playoffs in 2020, he then spared their blushes last season in a dramatic victory from behind against Busan IPark to maintain their first-division status. His side became notorious for its attacking intent even though it often came at the expense of defensive solidity.
Despite the heroics, Kim left Suwon to take the helm at Seoul E-Land at the start of this year. Tasked with leading a promotion charge that has escaped former incumbents, Kim set about instilling his attacking sensibilities and as such has transformed a team that finished 11th last year into the most prolific in front of the net in this campaign with 62 goals.
Jeonbuk, meanwhile, have had a season to forget, signing swathes of attacking talent yet struggling to produce a similar outcome. While 49 goals may have been the highest in the bottom half, it bettered no one in Final A. This, combined with the division's worst defensive record of 59 goals shipped, and the thought of the Leopards doing the unthinkable may prove to be a real possibility despite the division that divides them.
Kim Do-kyun masterminded three wins in ten meetings over Jeonbuk during his time at the helm of Suwon FC, a reasonable showing given the differing expectations and gulf in resources. He may well feel he has the tools at his disposal and form on his side to do something similar this weekend.
Who to Watch
Kim Oh-kyu
Signed alongside Osmar in the winter, Kim Oh-kyu was also an experienced defender tasked with bolstering the backline to allow for the manager's attacking tendencies to prevail. Furthermore, the 35-year-old Kim has experience across both divisions, winning direct promotion from the second tier on two occasions in the process: once with army side Sangju Sangmu and most recently with his most-recent employers Jeju United.
Kim has featured regularly for the Leopards this year and has pushed himself into some of the more prominent defensive stats for the division with his showings. The captain's efforts have seen him rank 4th in the league for interceptions, while also playing a role in the construction of attacks, scoring highly for passes into the final third and topping the table for most progressive passes.
Given Jeonbuk's defensive woes this season, Kim will be hoping that he cannot only stifle their attack but add to his own team's this Sunday.
Lee Yeong-jae
While Kim Do-kyun may be fearing the attacking threat posed by Lee Seung-woo, its another former Suwon player who plied his trade under his tutelage that may well have a notable impact this Sunday. Lee Yeong-jae was one of many names through the door at Jeonju last winter, signing after scoring a dramatic late equaliser in the relegation playoff to keep Suwon FC in contention and ultimately safe.
The 31-year-old is best known as a midfielder but Jeonbuk manager Kim Do-heon has sometimes preferred him as the secondary striker in a 4-4-2 role over the last couple of months in a bid to take full advantage of his creative ability. As a result, Lee has proven to be one of the team's most consistent performers in a year many of their supporters may wish to quickly forget. If Lee can repeat his heroics from last year's playoff though, he may well be being talked about for a good while longer.
Where to Watch
