▲ Lukas Hinterseer of Ulsan Hyundai FC (L) tries to dribble the ball past Shin Se-gye of Gangwon FC (R) during their clubs' K League 1 match at Songam Sports Town Main Stadium in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers east of Seoul, on May 12, 2021. (Yonhap)
▲ Uros Deric of Suwon Samsung Bluewings (2nd from R) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against Jeju United during the teams' K League 1 match at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, 45 kilometers south of Seoul, on May 12, 2021, in this photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ In this file photo from April 7, 2021, Felipe of Gwangju FC (R) reacts after missing a scoring chance against Suwon FC during a K League 1 match at Gwangju Football Stadium in Gwangju, 330 kilometers south of Seoul. (Yonhap)
▲ Daegu FC players celebrate their goal against Incheon United during a 3-0 victory in a K League 1 match at DGB Daegu Bank Park in Daegu, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on May 8, 2021, in this photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

football-matches

K League contenders, bottom feeders set for key clashes on weekend

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, May 14 (Yonhap) -- Two clubs looking to reach the top of the K League 1 table will square off on the weekend, while a pair of bottom feeders will try to climb out of the abyss.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings will take a four-match undefeated streak into a Sunday showdown against Ulsan Hyundai FC, kicking off at 4 p.m. at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, 415 kilometers southeast of Seoul.

Ulsan are in second place with 26 points, three back of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Suwon, which have played one more match than those two teams with 15 so far, have 25 points, good for third place.

Ulsan wasted a golden opportunity to make up ground on Jeonbuk on Wednesday, when they settled for a 2-2 draw against lowly Gangwon FC. Suwon, on the other hand, haven't lost since April 21, as they have steadily moved up the table after a four-match winless slide earlier that month.

In their first meeting of the season on April 18, Suwon beat Ulsan 3-0, with the 19-year-old forward Jung Sang-bin rounding out the scoring in the second half.

Jung leads Suwon with four goals, earning praise from head coach Park Kun-ha for his ability to put pressure on defense with speed and a nose for the goal.

On Saturday, cellar-dwelling Gwangju FC will visit Incheon United at 7 p.m.

In their second season following a promotion from the K League 2, Gwangju are now in 12th and last place, the automatic relegation zone, with 13 points after 14 matches. Incheon, which always seem to find themselves in tight battles to avoid relegation, have 15 points from 15 matches to sit third from the bottom.

Gwangju won the first two matches of April but have since put up one win and five losses since then. They've scored only twice while conceding eight in those contests.

Gwangju's striker Felipe has been held to only three goals in 12 matches and is in the midst of a six-match scoreless drought -- a far cry from a 12-goal performance in 24 matches last year.

The K League's data showed that Gwangju were its most successful club in April based on ball possession and shot creation numbers. They'll just need better finishing around the net.

FC Seoul, Seongnam FC, Pohang Steelers and Jeonbuk will be idle this weekend.

FC Seoul and Seongnam FC remain under health and safety protocols after one FC Seoul player tested positive for COVID-19 on May 2, two days after the two clubs played each other. The league postponed the next four matches for the two clubs. This weekend, Jeonbuk had been scheduled to play Seoul, while Seongam had been set to face Pohang.

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