There’s a team that seems to get stronger every time it meets Ulsan Hyundai. Daejeon Hana Citizen is that team.

Daejeon and Ulsan met in the 30th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2023 at the Munsusu Soccer Stadium in Ulsan, South Korea on April 16. It was the third meeting of the season between the promoted team and the defending champions. The result was a 1-1 draw. Daejeon is in eighth place with 38 points, while Ulsan is in first place with 62 points.

It was the visitors who scored the first goal. In the second minute of the first half, Kim In-gyun opened the scoring for Ulsan with a left-footed shot off a pass from Massa. Ulsan fought back immediately. They were awarded a penalty kick (PK) in the 30th minute, and the kicker, Lee In-gyu, tied the score at 1-1, sparking a comeback.

The flow of the second half was also tense. Daejeon brought on Jeon Byung-kwan, Kim Young-wook, Anton, Leandro, and Lee Jin-hyun, while Ulsan added Rubikson, Lee Cheong-yong, Kim Young-kwon, Jang Si-young, and Bako. In the 40th minute of the second half, Bako scored the equalizer with a right-footed volley, but the goal was called back due to an offside penalty.

Seven minutes of second-half stoppage time were awarded. Four minutes into the extra time, Ulsan was awarded another PK. Oh Jae-seok was called for a handball foul. Lee Min-kyu, who had scored the equalizer earlier, was the PK kicker. Goalkeeper Lee Chang-geun blocked the PK shot, and the two teams were unable to break the 1-1 tie.

Daejeon is the only team in the K League 1 that hasn’t lost to Ulsan this season. They proved their ‘Ulsan nemesis’ status by adding a point in Ulsan. They won the first match 2-1, drew the second match 3-3, and tied the third match 1-1, giving them five points from three matches against Ulsan.

Losing to Ulsan is a tough pill to swallow. The Ulsan fans’ “Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye” chant sticks in your head for a long time. This chant is sung by Ulsan fans to the opposing team’s players and fans when they are sure of victory. If they win an away game, they’ll sing it with a “goodbye”.바카라

The lyrics may be friendly, but the nuances are not. It has a strong teasing meaning. This season, 10 of the 11 teams in the K League 1, with the exception of Ulsan, have heard the chant “Goodbye~” or “Goodbye~” at least once. However, Daejeon has yet to hear this chant. Instead, they sang “Goodbye” after beating Ulsan in a home game.

Daejeon and Ulsan could meet one more time. At the end of the regular round and entering the final round, the teams will play one more game each if they are placed together in Group A or Group B based on their record. There’s no way Ulsan, the overwhelming favorite, will be in Group B. If Daejeon is in Group A (1-6), they will meet Ulsan again.

There are three games left in the regular round. Daejeon’s remaining opponents are Suwon Samsung (12th), Gangwon FC (11th), and Jeju United (9th). Depending on their performance in these three games, Daejeon could qualify for the Final Group A and extend their unbeaten streak against Ulsan to four games. Conversely, Ulsan will have one more chance to avenge their loss to Daejeon.