Gwangju FC secure promotion to K League 1 with four games left to play

Sandro Lima of Gwangju FC, center, celebrates after scoring in a 3-2 victory against the Jeonnam Dragons on Sep.11 at Gwangyang Football Stadium in Gwangyang, South Jeonnam. [YONHAP]

Gwangju FC secured the top spot in the K League 2 on Wednesday with four games still left to play, ensuring their return to the top tier K League 1 just one year after being relegated.

Gwangju currently lead the K League 2 with 78 points, an insurmountable 15 points ahead of the second-place FC Anyang. That lead was secured on Wednesday when Anyang lost 1-0 to Daejeon Hana Citizen.

As the top club in the second tier, Gwangju will automatically be promoted to the first tier without having to play a promotion-relegation playoff.

In the K League, the bottom club from the K League 1 is automatically relegated and the top team from K League 2 takes their place in the top tier. The second-to-last K League 1 team competes in a playoff with the winner of a separate playoff between the second and third-place K League 2 teams. If the K League 2 club wins, they are promoted and the K League 1 club are relegated.

Last season, Gwangju FC were relegated to the second division after finishing at the bottom of the K League 1 and Gimcheon Sangmu were promoted to the top tier after topping the second division league.

But Gwangju made short work of the K League 2 this year. The latest edition to the league are now the first club to have earned promotion with four matches remaining in K League history. In 2013, Sangju Sangmu, now Gimcheon Sangmu, secured their spot in the top tier with three matches to go.

Gwangju had been sitting on the top of the K League 2 standings since April 23. With 23 wins, nine ties and four losses, Gwangju will tie a K League 2 record for the most wins in one season if they add another victory in their four remaining matches. The current K League 2 record is held by Gyeongnam FC.

If Gwangju manages to win the last match of the season against Gyeongnam on Oct. 9 at Gwangju Football Stadium, they will have won against every K League club at home this season.

Gwangju lead the K League 2 standings with 78 points, FC Anyang trail with 63 points, Daejeon Hana Citizen are third with 61 points, Bucheon FC 1995 are fourth with 60 points, Gyeongnam FC are fifth with 50 points, Chungnam Asan are sixth with 48 points, Seoul E-Land are seventh with 42 points, Ansan Greeners are eighth with 37 points, Gimpo FC are ninth with 35 points, the Jeonnam Dragons are 10th with 31 points and Busan IPark are last with 27 points.

Starting this season, in addition to the previous promotion-relegation playoff, the 10th K League 1 club — the second-from-last in the 12-team league — will need to play the winner of a series of playoffs played between the third to fifth K League 2 clubs. Only the top nine K League 1 clubs will be guaranteed to stay in the top tier without playing a promotion-relegation playoff.

In the K League 1, Seongnam FC is currently in the automatic relegation spot while the Suwon Samsung Bluewings are 11th and Gimcheon Sangmu 10th.

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