Ulsan desperate to break free of choking label

Ulsan Hyundai players celebrate after scoring the team's second goal during the K League 1 match against Suwon FC at Munsu Stadium in Ulsan, Sunday. / Yonhap

By John Duerden

Fans of the Ulsan Horang-i could be forgiven for feeling a sense of dread around Halloween. In the past two seasons, the Tigers were looking good for the title in the final days of the season, only to throw it away ultimately. There are four games left in the K League season to stop something similar happening again.

The second half of October was a painful time. First came defeat in the AFC Champions League semifinal against domestic rival, the Pohang Steelers. Then came a loss in the K League at the hands of the Seongnam FC, and then a defeat in the FA Cup against the Jeonnam Dragons.

"This has been a devastating week for Ulsan, and I am sure our fans felt the pain, too," Ulsan captain Lee Chung-yong said last week. "We all understand our fans' suffering, and we don't want them to feel any more pain. That's how we're going to approach our final five matches."

The first of those five ended in a victory over Suwon City to ensure that Ulsan at least has something to smile about. The problem now is that the team, which has been in first place since the halfway point of the season, has dropped into second place, level in terms of points with the Jeonbuk Motors but behind them in terms of goal difference.?

Jeonbuk is the team that has broken Ulsan hearts in the past two seasons, snatching the title away in the final moments. That means the clash between the two on Saturday is a big one. If Ulsan can win, it won't mean the title is definitely heading to the city famous for shipbuilding, but it will be a major step in the right direction.

The win will also be good for morale and confidence. Ulsan has collected a reputation for choking in recent years and it is not one that any sporting club welcomes. "We've struggled this time of the season in the recent past, and this is our opportunity to change the narrative," Lee said. "And that's why we're here."

There is serious daylight between the top two, with Daegu FC in third and 18 points behind. Daegu is fighting it out for third and a possible spot in the 2022 AFC Champions League. Jeju United, Suwon FC and the Suwon Bluewings are also in with a chance.

At the bottom sits the Gwangju FC, already a team that looks as if it is going to drop into the second tier. There is more attention on what will happen to the FC Seoul. The capital club won a sixth league title in 2016 but sits in 11th place just four points above Gwangju.

Seoul could be heading for a relegation play-off.?Gangwon and Seongnam are also in danger of the drop, and so are the Pohang Steelers, a team that is preparing for the AFC Champions League final against Al-Hilal on Nov. 23. It would be remarkable indeed if Pohang was to become Asian champion for a record fourth time only to be relegated into the second tier.

That remains to be seen. There are four games remaining and this has become a tough time for Ulsan fans. But there is still time for the Tigers to shed their reputation for choking.