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After a bumpy ride, Pohang Steelers bag Korea Cup and ACL Two place

Published: 01 Dec. 2024, 13:57 Updated: 01 Dec. 2024, 18:14

PAIK JI-HWAN
[email protected]

The Pohang Steelers celebrate winning the 2024 Korea Cup at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Saturday. [YONHAP]

A sixth Korea Cup title from the Pohang Steelers on Saturday allowed the club to end what turned out to be an up-and-down 2024 season on a meaningful note, becoming the winningest team in Korea Cup history and booking a ticket to the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Two (ACL Two) after finishing the K League 1 season in sixth place.

This is not the first time the Steelers have lifted silverware after failing to shine domestically. The 2008 season was the same as this campaign, as the team won the Korean FA Cup — now called the Korea Cup — despite finishing the league in sixth place.

How did the Steelers perform throughout the 2024 campaign and how does it compare to their performance in the past seasons when they won titles?

Shaky start in the AFC Champions League and ups and downs in the K League

The Steelers kicked off the 2024 season nearly a month before most other fellow K League 1 teams due to their participation in the 2023-24 AFC Champions League.

The K League 1 regular season runs from March to November, while the Champions League unfolds from August to next May. The round of 16 matches started from February.

The Pohang Steelers, in red, compete against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors during the second leg of the AFC Champions League round of 16 at Pohang Steelyard in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, on on Feb. 20. [NEWS1]

As the Steelers headed to the knockout stage against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors with multiple new signings and new manager Park Tae-ha, the club was unable to carry over the performance they had showcased in the group stage and lost 3-1 on aggregate to the fellow K League 1 team.

But Pohang started to pick up in the league, gradually piling up wins in the early days and claiming the No. 1 spot in the table on April 2.

The club slipped down to the No. 2 position a few times, but still maintained a good run through July, securing wins against strong competitors like defending champions Ulsan HD and Gangwon FC.

But after ceding the top spot to Gangwon on July 26, which Ulsan later snatched and kept through the end, the Steelers slipped further down and hit the No. 6 spot on Aug. 25, endangering their AFC competition hopes for the 2025-26 season.

The club did climb back in September and October, but failed to keep it up and saw a sixth-place finish, their worst result since the 2021 season when they finished in ninth place.

But their performance in the league did not mean failure in the Korea Cup. A similar pattern was also visible in the past seasons when the Steelers pulled off a strong performance outside the league.

Notable runs in the domestic cup and Champions League

Even when the Steelers struggled in the K League, the club occasionally saw a notable result outside.

The 2008 season was exactly the same as this season, with the team lifting the Korean FA Cup after a sixth-place finish.

The 2009 league season went a little better for them, finishing in third place. But the Steelers won the AFC Champions League — the predecessor to AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) — that year.

The Pohang Steelers, in black, compete against Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League final at King Fahd International Stadium in Saudi Arabia on Nov. 24, 2021. [NEWS1]

The 2021 season saw the Pohang side secure contrasting results in the K League and Champions League, with the club struggling and finishing in ninth place, but claiming a runner-up finish in the continental tournament.

Next season for the Steelers

The ACL Two — Asia’s second-tier club football competition — awaits the Steelers next season, which they qualified for by winning the Korea Cup. Had they finished the league in fourth place or higher, they would have qualified for the ACLE instead.

The Steelers still have more action to catch in the ongoing ACLE league stage, which runs through next February, before the 2025 K League season unfolds next spring.

The 2025 campaign poses a challenge for the Steelers, who can end a league title drought that has lasted since 2013, when they swept both the league and Korean FA Cup trophies.

Winning the Korea Cup again in the 2025 season will allow them to achieve a third consecutive title, a feat they have never claimed in any competition before.

The 2025 season could also see more of manager Park’s influence, if he stays, as it will be his second season in charge.

The Steelers will return to action in an ACLE match against Vissel Kobe at Pohang Steelyard in Pohang, North Gyeongsang on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]