By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
There was no Cinderella team in the first stage of the K-League this year as league powers have been competing for the top post.
The league closed out the first half, composed of 13 rounds, last Sunday and defending champion Seongnam Chunma, Championship Series runner-up Suwon BlueWings and Ulsan Tigers, which topped the league in 2005, captured the top three spots in the standings.
Seongnam has maintained a nine match winning and no loss with four draws, collecting 31 points for this season alone. Extending to last season, the team hasn't lost in 20 matches _ 12 victories and eight ties.
Manager Kim Hak-beom's 4-3-3 strategy is proving successful as Seongnam has scored 24 goals and conceded six, both of which are the best records in the league.
The 47-year-old plans to replace his current two foreign players Adrian Neaga and Itamar Batista with new imports to solidify Seonanam's dominance in the second stage.
Suwon BlueWings also are on the rise.
Breaking out of an early slump, the three-time K-League champion finished second with seven wins, two losses and four draws, giving it 25 points.
Although they suffered an unexpected 1-2 defeat by Ulsan, the team routed the league leader 4-1 in the six-team K-League Cup playoffs on May 19 and showed off its sturdy offense by netting five times in the final game of the first stage last Saturday against Gyeongnam FC.
Brazilians Eduardo Goncalves's consistent performance and a revived Nadson Rodrigues lead the BlueWings' offense.
Nadson lived up to his manager Cha Bum-kun's expectation, scoring two goals with one assist against Seongnam and two goals in last Saturday's game, heralding a better second stage.
The Ulsan Tigers stood at third despite early problems in its organization, with a record of 6-3 with four ties.
Ulsan has a good player pool enough to win the championship but it has some problems in settling its offense and defense.
Last season's 12th placed Gyeongnam FC surprised Korean football fans, coming in fourth.
The football squad, which joined the league last season, won six, lost three and drew four games with 21 points.
The statistic is already beyond manager Park Hang-seo's pre-season estimate of 18 points.
Behind Gyeongnam's good displays are Brazilian duo Everaldo Pereira and Adilson Rerreira.
Forward Pereira is a top scorer with 10 goals and midfielder Rerreira also leads the league in assists with nine.
The 2006 AFC Champions League winner, Chonbuk Motors, suffered from players' injuries but midfielder Yeom Ki-hun, forwards Jose Ferreira and Tebnlia Stevica lifted the team into fifth place.
Although short of what manager Choi Kang-hee predicted, With the team not having any away games in the Far East region until the finals of the 2007 AFC Champions League and injured midfielder Kim Hyeung-bum's comeback, hopes are high that the team will expedite its hunt for victory.
Chunnam Dragons, which tied seven times, rank sixth with two losses.
Pohang Steelers and Turkish Senol Gunes's FC Seoul couldn't rely on an early winning atmosphere and stay at Nos. 7 and 8, respectively.
However, the margin of winning points from No. 3 to No. 8 is only five, allowing the six-team playoffs open to any of the top teams.
Jeju United, which has 14 points, ranked ninth and Daejeon Citizen, suffering internal conflict due to manager Choi Yoon-gyum's recent tantrum, while Incheon United and Daegu FC, where Olympic team striker Lee Keun-ho scored six goals, are tied on 13 points.
Former Swiss World Cup team manager Andy Egli's Busan I'Park managed only two wins and Gwangju Sangmu tasted its first win only after 13 games.