WEEKEND PICKS

BASEBALL

Korea Baseball Organization

· LG Twins at Nexen Heroes

· 6:30 p.m. Friday, Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul

The LG Twins and Nexen Heroes, both Seoul-based teams, will meet for the first time this season over the weekend.

The Heroes have been playing decent games since settling into their new ballpark this year, the Gocheok Sky Dome, which is the first domed stadium in Korea. They are staying in the upper pool of the league just as last year, but what’s more noteworthy is the recent performance of the Twins so far. Although the Twins finished ninth last season, they are trailing in the top five at the moment.

The Heroes had 10 wins and six losses against the Twins throughout last year, but with both teams doing well this year, the stadium is expected to be packed.

The Twins and the Heroes will continue to play after Friday’s game at the same venue on Saturday at 5 p.m. and on Sunday at 2 p.m.

FOOTBALL

K-League Classic

· FC Seoul at Ulsan Hyundai FC

· 2 p.m. Sunday, Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium, Ulsan

Coming out of 2-1 Asian Champions League win over Buriram United of Thailand, the top-ranked FC Seoul will travel all the way down to Ulsan on Sunday to go head-to-head with Ulsan Hyundai FC.

In the past six rounds of the K-League Classic, Seoul has only lost one game, in the first week against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors by 1-0. Since then, Seoul has scored at least two goals a game in order to climb to first in the K-League Classic rankings. In the six games played so far this season, FC Seoul’s Brazilian striker Carlos Adriano scored five goals and dished out two assists. By his side has been Montenegrin Dejan Damjanovic, who’s scored two goals.

What fans are most looking forward to, however, is probably the return of Seoul’s star forward Park Chu-young. Park, who suffered from season-ending foot injury last year, has begun to make his comeback, seeing some playing time on the pitch for Seoul. Once he makes a full recovery, Seoul’s offense is expected to be one of the most lethal lineups in the K-League with Adriano, Damjanovic and Park.

For fifth-ranked Ulsan with two wins, two losses and two draws, the match against Seoul is expected to be a difficult one.