Jeju United fought back from two goals down at home to title rivals Gyeongnam FC yesterday to record a 3-2 victory and maintain their position at the top of the K-League standings as the race for the championship playoff spots enters the final stretch.
Yoon Bit-garam and Lucio Tefilo da Silva helped Gyeongnam race into a 2-0 lead within seventeen minutes of kick-off, but a Kim Eun-jung penalty and Natanael de Souza Santos’ eighth of the campaign sent the sides in level at the break. Former national team striker Kim got his second of the game and Jeju’s third in the 56th minute to wrap up the points.
FC Seoul remain hot on Jeju’s heels in second place as goals from Lee Seung-ryul and Server Djeparov earned them the points in a 2-0 win at home to Incheon United. Jose Maria Ortigoza Ortiz hit the seventh hat-trick of the 2010 season as Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i came back from Daejeon Citizen with a 5-1 win, whilst Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors’ hopes of finishing in the top three were dented as they were held to a goalless draw by Gwangju Sangmu Phoenix.
Busan I’Park, who celebrated reaching the FA Cup final in midweek, suffered a surprise defeat away to bottom club Daegu FC. Kim Hyun-sung put the home side ahead in the 16th minute and Jo Hyung-ik doubled the advantage five minutes from the break. Park Hee-do scored his sixth of the season with sixteen minutes remaining to raise hopes of a comeback for Hwang Sun-hong’s side but it wasn’t to be and Daegu recorded just their fourth win of 2010.
In Gwangyang, Antonio Rogerio Silva pounced five minutes from time to give Chunnam Dragons a 2-1 victory over Gangwon FC.
With six rounds of matches remaining Jeju United sit top of the table on 50 points from 23 matches. FC Seoul lie four points behind in second place having played 22 games, whilst Gyeongnam are third on 42 points having played the same number of matches. AFC Champions League semi-finalists Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma are fourth with 41 points from their 22 matches, ahead of fifth-placed Ulsan on goal difference although Horang-i have played 23 matches. The top six is rounded off by Jeonbuk who sit on 38 points, seven ahead of seventh-placed Suwon Samsung Bluewings who remain the one team with any realistic hope of catching Jeonbuk.
K-League Results (Saturday October 2nd and Sunday October 3rd, 2010)
Jeonbuk 0-0 Gwangju
Daejeon 1-5 Ulsan
FC Seoul 2-0 Incheon
Jeju 3-2 Gyeongnam
Daegu 2-1 Busan
Chunnam 2-1 Gangwon
Current Standings (top 8 teams)
1. Jeju 50pts
2. Seoul 46pts
3. Gyeongnam 42pts
4. Seongnam 41pts
5. Ulsan 41pts
6. Jeonbuk 38pts
7. Suwon 31pts
8. Busan 28pts
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With no National League action this weekend to give the majority of teams time to prepare for participation in the 91st National Sports Festival later this week, the lower league spotlight fell on the K3 League action this weekend.
The biggest surprise result of the weekend came in Group A at the Bucheon Leports stadium where championship playoff hopefuls Bucheon FC 1995 saw their hopes of stealing into the second playoff slot all but extinguished following their 5-0 reverse to Cheongju Jikji. With Group A leaders Samcheok Sinwoo Electronics having already booked their place in the playoffs, second-placed Gyeongju Citizen, who shared a 1-1 draw with leaders Samcheok this weekend, require just one point from their final two matches to wrap up second place.
Icheon Citizen leapfrogged previous Group B leaders Pocheon FC as they emerged with a 4-0 victory from the battle of the top two sides in the section on Saturday. Third-placed Yangju Citizen crushed Cheonan FC 6-0 to move within four points of second-placed Pocheon and ensure the race for the playoff spots in Group B will go down to the wire.
K3 League Group A Results (Saturday October 3rd, 2010)
Asan 1-2 Jeonju EM
Samcheok 1-1 Gyeongju
Goyang 4-4 Seoul Martyrs
Bucheon 0-5 Cheongju Jikji
Group A Standings (top 4)
Samcheok 55pts
Gyeongju 49pts
Bucheon 40pts
Jeonju 38pts
K3 League Group B Results (Saturday October 3rd, 2010)
Icheon 4-0 Pocheon
Yangju 6-0 Cheonan
Chunnam Youngkwang 0-1 Gwangju Gwangsan
Seoul United 2-2 Namyangju
Group B Standings (top 4)
Icheon 48pts
Pocheon 46pts
Yangju 42pts
Seoul United 36pts
