Jeju United fights again with physical strength, heat, and away road.
Jeju is currently in 5th place with 8 wins, 5 draws and 7 losses (29 points) from 20 matches. The gap with 3rd place FC Seoul (33 points) is only 4 points, but the gap with 8th place Daegu FC (28 points) is only 1 point. Moreover, Jeju’s rising trend has been broken.
Jeju suffered ups and downs at the beginning of the season. once fell to the bottom. However, in May, a dramatic turnaround was achieved. They swept 13 points with 4 wins and 1 draw in the league and participated in the fight for second place. Director Ki-il Nam also received the Director of the Month Award for May. But in June, it was different.
Jeju recorded 2 draws and 2 losses in 4 league games played in June. They lost to Pohang Steelers (1-2 loss) and Ulsan Hyundai (1-5 loss) and drew against Daejeon Hana Citizen (1-1 draw) and Gangwon FC (2-2 draw). Still, in the quarterfinals of the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup against Ulsan held on the 28th of last month, they won after a penalty shootout. However, the 120-minute bloody battle increased the physical burden. And in the 20th round against Jeonbuk Hyundai on the 1st, they lost 0-2. The overall performance wasn’t bad, but the finish was lacking.
This year, the heat wave started a little early. The temperature and humidity are considerable, so it is inevitable that it will be difficult to digest the game. Jeju experiences a crisis every summer. One reason is that it is always difficult to travel due to the nature of the region. I have always struggled with hot weather, long expeditions and physical strain. Compared to other teams, the recovery time is relatively short and the physical burden is high.토토사이트
Of course, the depth of the squad this year is not bad. Defender Yeon Je-woon performed well in the FA Cup quarterfinals and against Jeonbuk in the 20th round. Lee Chang-min’s void is being filled by Kim Bong-soo and Lee Ki-hyeok. In addition, midfielder Koo Ja-cheol and side defender Ahn Hyun-beom will return soon. If they are included in the squad, it is expected to be of great help to the team’s operation.
The two home matches that follow immediately can be an important match. Jeju faces Daegu FC and Gwangju FC in the 21st and 22nd rounds, respectively. After that, two consecutive expeditions await. There is also an FA Cup quarterfinal in August. The draw for the FA Cup draw has not yet taken place, but if it goes away, it will be a tight schedule from home to away to home. How Jeju wisely overcomes the summer has become an important task again.