Hong Myung-bo, head coach of Ulsan Hyundai. 

Gwangju FC, led by head coach Lee Jung-hyo, will play the 34th round of Hana One-Q K League 1 2023 with head coach Hong Myung-bo's Ulsan Hyundai at 2 p.m. on the 21st. Both teams in the first game of the final round only look at 'victory'. Gwangju, ranked third in the K League 1, is determined to advance to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL), and Ulsan, the leader, is determined to achieve its first "two consecutive losses" in the club's history.

Lee Jung-hyo, who faced reporters before the final round media day on the 18th, said, "I think the first game is the most important. "I'm only thinking about the Ulsan match ahead," he said, vowing to win. For Gwangju, which is aiming for second place, it is necessary to put the first button on the final round to look higher.

Coach Lee Jung-hyo, who achieved the "15 wins" goal set before the start of the season, dreams of advancing to the ACL in the 2024-25 season. "I tell the players that they have to go to the ACL unconditionally," he said. I think we should change the Gwangju club itself. "We need to go to ACL to make it inevitable to bring about change," he reiterated. In other words, the club's investment will follow only when it enters the Asian stage.

Coach Hong Myung-bo, who presented Ulsan with his first championship in 17 years last year, intends to make a new history. Coach Hong said on Media Day, "I can't see it because it was a path no one has taken, but I will do my best until the end. Every game is important. Our goal is to put an additional star on our left chest, he said.

Ulsan (67 points), which has never conceded the top spot since March 19, is nine points ahead of the second-place Pohang Steelers (58 points). It is a positive situation that can bring the championship trophy on its own in the remaining five games.

Ulsan Hyundai manager Hong Myung-bo and reporter Kim Ki-hee (Seoul = Yonhap News) Choi Jae-gu = Ulsan Hyundai manager Hong Myung-bo and Kim Ki-hee are taking commemorative photos at the K League 1 Final Round Media Day event held at a hotel in Yongsan, Seoul on the 18th.  토토

 Gwangju FC manager Lee Jung-hyo and Anyang-gyu are taking commemorative photos at the K League 1 Final Round Media Day event held at a hotel in Yongsan, Seoul on the 18th.

However, the atmosphere of the two teams ahead of the first round of the final round is clearly different. The home team Gwangju has only lost one game (7 wins and 2 draws) in the last 10 games. He also set a good record this season, including the most wins in the K League 1 history and wins against all K League 1 clubs. On the other hand, Ulsan, which has three wins, five draws and two losses in the past 10 games, seems to have slowed down a little.

In addition, Ulsan lacked time to properly step into the A match break period as a large number of key resources such as Cho Hyun-woo, Kim Tae-hwan, and Seol Young-woo were called up to the national soccer team. Director Hong Myung-bo said, "Gwangju is generally good, so I think we should prepare well." In particular, since it is an away game, I think we need to closely observe the players' condition," he hinted.

Ulsan won two games in the previous three regular rounds against Gwangju. In the most recent showdown last month, Gwangju won at Ulsan's home turf.