Gimcheon beat Pohang in first K League 1 win since 2020

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Gimcheon beat Pohang in first K League 1 win since 2020

Manuel Palacios of the Pohang Steelers, left, plays the ball against Gimcheon Sangmu at the Gimcheon Sports Complex in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang. [YONHAP]

Manuel Palacios of the Pohang Steelers, left, plays the ball against Gimcheon Sangmu at the Gimcheon Sports Complex in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang. [YONHAP]

 
In the second week of K League action, Gimcheon Sangmu took a 3-2 win over the Pohang Steelers on Sunday, adding three points to the table for the first time this season on Sunday.
 
This is Gimcheon Sangmu’s first win in the top tier since the 2020 season. Gimcheon Sangmu played in the K League 2 last year after being relegated on a technicality despite finishing fourth in the K League 1 in 2020.  
 
Last season, Gimcheon were able to comfortably secure the top spot in the K League 2 to guarantee a move up to the first division on Oct. 17, 2021, with two matches remaining.
 
Gimcheon were able to prove that they were a strong team from the start on Sunday, opening the scoring in the sixth minute when Cho Gue-sung converted a penalty. Just six minutes later, Seo Jin-su took the score to 2-0 by slotting in a tidy set piece.
 
But the Steelers weren’t ready to give up just yet, with Manuel Palacious scoring their first goal in the 42nd minute. The score was 2-1 when the whistle blew for half-time.
 
In the 62nd minute, Heo Yong-joong of Pohang leveled the score at 2-2 by heading in a cross off the Sangmu post.  
 
With just 20 minutes on the clock, the military team were able to fight their way back on top when Jeong Hyun-cheol volleying home the winning goal.  
 
Last week, Gimcheon Sangmu came fresh off promotion to hold last year's runner-up Ulsan Hyundai to a 0-0 draw in their first match of the season. Gimcheon currently has one win and one draw, making it one of the four top clubs in the K League. FC Seoul tops the table based on number of goals scored.  
 
All 12 K League 1 clubs will be looking to land in the top nine this season with the introduction of a second promotion-relegation playoff that means the 10th-place team, will now also have to fight to stay in the top tier when the league finishes. The 11th-place team, also plays a playoff, while the 12th-place team is automatically relegated.
 
The 10th-place team will play the winner of a series of playoffs between the third to fifth K League 2 clubs. Only the top nine K League 1 clubs will be guaranteed a spot in the top tier at the end of the season.

BY YUN SO-HYANG [yun.sohyang@joongang.co.kr]
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