Incheon looks to make it three wins in a row, Jeju seeks first away win of the season, and can’t afford to back down
Incheon United and Jeju United will face off in a no-holds-barred clash as they seek their first back-to-back wins of the season.
Incheon United and Jeju United will face off in the sixth round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 on Saturday, June 6 at 4:30 p.m. at the Incheon Football Stadium. The home team Incheon is fifth in the league with two wins, two draws and one loss for eight points, while Jeju is sixth with two wins, one draw and two losses for seven points. Separated by just one point, Incheon and Jeju will be looking to extend their winning streaks after winning their last two matches.
In the all-time series, the two teams have met 56 times. Jeju holds a narrow advantage over Incheon with 19 wins, 20 draws and 17 losses. Last year, however, Incheon had the upper hand against Jeju. The teams met three times, with Incheon winning two and Jeju winning one.
Incheon aims for first ‘three-game winning streak’ of the season, sharp offense ‘on the radar’
After failing to record a win in their first three matches of the season, Incheon are finally starting to come alive. Under Cho Sung-hwan, Incheon suffered a bitter defeat at home to Kim Eun-joong’s Suwon FC in their opening match. After a tight 0-0 draw in the Gyeongin derby against Seoul, Incheon had to hang their heads in shame as they were held to a 0-0 draw away to Ulsan in a three-goal thriller.
After the A-League break, Incheon vowed to turn things around and quickly began to bounce back. After welcoming Daejeon Hana Citizen to their home turf, Incheon earned their first win of the season with a 2-0 victory thanks to fantastic performances from Park Seung-ho and Gerso, and then traveled to a tricky Gwangju side on Wednesday (March 3) to record their first two-game winning streak of the season with a dramatic 2-3 victory. After a disappointing start to the season, Incheon quickly rebounded after the break with two straight wins to jump into the top half of the table.
At the center of Incheon’s rise has been their strikers. After being held scoreless in their opening matches against Suwon and Seoul, Incheon exploded for eight goals against Ulsan, Daejeon, and Gwangju. At the center of it all have been the fantastic performances of former U-20 international striker Park Seung-ho, K-League’s top crack, Jerso, and Incheon’s living legend, striker Stephane Mugosa.
Park Seung-ho has emerged as the centerpiece of Incheon’s offense, scoring two goals against Ulsan, one against Daejeon, and one against Gwangju. Gerso has also proven his class with one goal each against Incheon and Gwangju, while Mugosa has been on an upward curve with three goals in five games. Add to that the performance of Hong Si-Hoo, who has made the perfect transition from striker to wing-back. It’s unfortunate that he won’t be available to Incheon for the time being, as he is currently away at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 Asian Cup in Qatar with Hwang Sun-hong.
Jeju will need to up their blunt attack in search of first away win
Jeju, fresh off a 2-0 home win over Jeonbuk Hyundai to secure their second win of the season, will now travel to Incheon for a tricky match. After finishing ninth in 스포츠토토 the league last year and facing relegation threats, Jeju are hoping to turn things around under ‘veteran’ coach Kim Hak-bum. Jeju traveled to Gangwon in their season opener and drew 1-1, and in their subsequent home opener, they stamped their authority on Daejeon with a massive 3-1 win.
However, a 0-2 loss away to Seoul and a 0-2 defeat at home to Pohang after the A-League break resulted in their first back-to-back defeats of the season. A win against Jeonbuk in a must-win game ended the losing streak, but the performance left a lot to be desired. With Jeonbuk’s Kim Jin-soo sent off, the team lost 45% of possession, and their attacking patterns were largely stifled in the second half.
While Jeju scored multiple goals and enjoyed the victory due to their opponent’s complacent defense and lack of focus, they still have a lot of room for improvement. To record a victory against Incheon, Jeju will need to explode from their stagnant attack. Brazilian express Yuri Jonatan and resurrected fixer Jin Sung-wook have been the top scorers with two goals apiece, but the team hasn’t been able to find its finishing touch in the attacking third.
Jeju will need a solid finish from the likes of Kim Seung-seop, Hayes, and Seo Jin-soo, who have yet to score, to continue their winning streak.
Incheon, looking for their first three-game winning streak of the season, meets Jeju, who are on a two-game winning streak and looking for their first away win. This is a highly anticipated clash between the fifth and sixth-ranked teams in the league, and with a win, both Incheon and Jeju can move up to the top of the table, so a victory is crucial for both teams to make the jump. Let’s keep an eye on the matchup at the Incheon Football Stadium.