There’s no disputing it. Ulsan HD’s “number one contributor” to their three consecutive K League 1 championship dynasty is national team captain Cho Hyun-woo. The value of ‘Light Hyun-woo’ is indescribable.
He needs no explanation. “His saves are routine, nothing special. In every game, when we were in trouble, he made great saves and gave the team a lot of strength.” Says Ulsan coach Kim Pang-gon.
National team coach Hong Myung-bo, who laid the foundation of the dynasty, also said during his time in charge of Ulsan: “It’s true that we get points every game because of Cho Hyun-woo. He is the No. 1 GK in Korea. That’s why he has always brought us good results,” he praised.
Ulsan opened the ‘Myth of the Dynasty’ on the 1st. It became the third club to win three consecutive titles in the K League, which was founded in 1983. Seongnam FC lifted the trophy twice in three consecutive years (1993-1995 and 2001-2003) when it was a corporate club.
Jeonbuk Hyundai won the K League 1 title for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021.
Ulsan defeated Gangwon FC 2-1 in the third round of the Hana One Q K League 1 2024 Final at Ulsan Sports Complex on Monday. With 68 points, Ulsan extended its lead over second-place Gangwon (61 points) to seven points and clinched the title for the third consecutive year regardless of the outcome of the remaining two matches.
Ulsan reached the top of the K League 1 for the first time in 17 years in 2022, and last year won its first back-to-back titles since its inception. Three consecutive titles is also a first. It was the fifth star on their chest, joining 1996 and 2005.
“We won because the players played so well,” 카지노사이트 said Cho Hyun-woo. I know we had bad memories in the past at the stadium, and I wanted to give the fans good memories. It feels good to have a good result. We’ll do our best to finish it off.”
Even without Cho Hyun-woo, who will be making his home in Ulsan in 2020, Ulsan also shook off a nightmare at Ulsan Stadium in 2019. Five years ago, a draw in the K League 1 final was enough to secure the top spot, but a 1-4 loss to the Pohang Steelers cost them the title. Coincidentally, it was also raining that day.
The ‘Champion’s Anthem’ rang out in the rain that day
In 2022, Lee Cheong-yong took home the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, and last year, Kim Young-kwon. This year, it was Cho Hyun-woo. He didn’t hide his desire to win the award after accomplishing a great feat.
“Honestly, I had high expectations last year. My brother Young-kwon won the award, but I had high expectations from the beginning of this year as well. I thought I could really get it if I won, and I tried my best in every match. I’m very happy that we got a good result. I feel like I helped the team a little bit, so I’m happy. I will look forward to the end.”
The key to Ulsan’s success this season has been its solid defense. Ulsan boasts the fewest goals conceded among the 12 clubs in the K League. They have conceded just 37 goals in 36 games. Cho Hyun-woo has kept 14 clean sheets in all competitions.
The MVP award is customarily reserved for the winning team. It was reserved for on-field performances.
Lee Un-jae (Suwon) was the first and last goalkeeper to win the MVP in 2008.
“We lost a lot of games this year,” says Cho Hyun-woo. “Coach Kim Pan-gon came and motivated us a lot and changed the team,” said Cho Hyun-woo. ”I think we played stably while bringing home the win. Even if we had a bad game today, we had the confidence to win. I think I played a good game because I was calm and didn’t get anxious every time and played well. I promised the fans that they would be able to watch the rest of the games comfortably, and I feel good that I kept my promise.”
Cho signed a de facto “lifetime contract” last year. Born in 1991, he extended his contract for another four years. “When I re-signed with Ulsan last year, I realized that they don’t have many stars. They’re a good team and they have a lot of quality players, but they don’t have many stars. As long as I am here, I will do my best without giving up until I have six or seven stars. The Club World Cup is important, but the K League is important to me. I will prepare well for the six-star next year,” he added.
