K-League 1's 'All-time Early Opening' has 12,659 average spectators...Even hot competition
K-League 1's 'All-time Early Opening' has 12,659 average spectators...Even hot competition
Blog Article
Ahead of the A-match break, the Professional Football Federation shed light on the major records of the first to fifth rounds of the K League this season.
The federation said on the 18th, "The Hana Bank K League 1, 2025, which opened on February 15, entered the A-match break after finishing the fifth round last weekend," adding, "We will look at key records such as the crowd trend of K League 1 this season, which has been running breathlessly for about a month since the opening, the report card of each team, and the performance of notable players and coaches."
According to the federation, the total number of spectators through the fifth round of the K League 1 this season is 367,106 (29 matches). The average attendance was 12,659, slightly higher than the average attendance (12,532) as of the end of the fifth round last season. In the second round, FC Seoul's home opener match against FC Anyang attracted 41,415 spectators, ranking second in the K League 1 home opener. Daegu FC continued its success by selling out three of the four home games held after the opening. The federation predicted that the number of spectators will increase further after the A-match break, along with warmer weather.
Daejeon Hana Citizen's sensation is also noteworthy. As of the end of the fifth round, Daejeon leads the standings. Daejeon has recorded four wins and one loss in five matches, and has displayed a perfect balance of offense and defense with nine points and four runs. Notably, the team has been on a roll lately with three consecutive wins. Following this, defending champion Ulsan HD ranks second with three wins, one draw and one loss. Gimcheon Sangmu and Seoul, which made it to Final A last season, are ranked third and fourth with respective performances this season.
Meanwhile, Daegu struggled to stay on the edge of the cliff until the promotion and playoffs last season, but this season, it won a surprise two consecutive wins after the opening to settle for fifth place. Starting with ace Cesinha, transfer Ramas is performing well with three goals and one assist. Gangwon FC, where the new coach Chung Kyung-ho is appointed, is in sixth place. Promoted team Anyang is in seventh place with an extraordinary 1-0 victory over strong team Ulsan from the opening game.
Gwangju FC, ranked eighth, is the only unbeaten team among the 12 teams in the K League 1 with one win and three draws since the opening. In the round of 16 of the 2024-25 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) held on the 13th, it beat J-League strong team Vissel Kobe to advance to the quarterfinals.
The ninth-ranked Jeonbuk Hyundai and the 10th-ranked Jeju SK increased their expectations by winning the opening game side by side, but have since been bogged down. The 11th-ranked Suwon FC and the 12th-ranked Pohang FC, which secured their first wins of the season, have yet to report their first wins of the season.
The federation then paid attention to the performance of the players who changed their uniforms.
Joo Min-gyu, who first moved to Daejeon this season, has been at the top of the scoring list by scoring multiple goals in the opening game. Joo Min-gyu is a proven striker who has been the top scorer of the K League 1 twice in Jeju (22 goals) in the 2021 season and Ulsan (17 goals) in the 2023 season, and has scored double-digit points for four consecutive years from the 2021 season to the last season. Daejeon is leading the league thanks to the performance of Joo Min-gyu, who has five goals and one assist, and Joo Min-gyu is challenging to become the top scorer of the K League 1 for the first time in two years.
After debuting in the K League 1 in Daegu in the 2021 season, Ramas moved to the K League 2 Busan I'Park in the middle of the 2022 season and played for three seasons. He returned to Daegu for the first time in four years this season. As soon as he returned, Ramas played in all games, scoring three goals and one assist, recording the most offensive points in his team. He boasts fantastic teamwork by forming a triangular formation in Brazil with Cesinha and Edgar.
Heo Yul, who moved from Gwangju to Ulsan this season, is a multi-resource that allows both striker and center back, and is mainly playing as a striker in Ulsan. Heo Yul finished his adaptation early by scoring his Ulsan debut goal in the second round match against Daejeon and multiple goals in the fourth round against Jeju.
It is also good to see the emergence of rookie players challenging for the Young Player Award.
Lee Ji-ho of Gangwon Province has emerged as the most notable rookie this season by scoring multiple goals in the second round match against Pohang following his first assist in the first round match against Daegu. Lee, who is participating in all matches, is bolstering Gangwon's offense by utilizing speed and bold dribbling.
After debuting in the K League 2 stage for Bucheon FC in the 2023 season, he moved to Ulsan this season after playing for two seasons. He is in charge of Ulsan's central defense along with veteran defender Kim Young-kwon. Seo has contributed to Ulsan's minimum number of goals in the K League 1 by giving up only two goals in pre-game times this season, and is drawing attention as a next-generation defender who will lead Ulsan's generational change.
Born in 2004, fullback Jeonbuk Choi Woo-jin moved to Jeonbuk from Incheon United this year and is currently playing in all of his matches. Choi made his first career national team debut last season with Incheon having four assists in 26 matches, and this season he is revitalizing his defense by wearing a Jeonbuk uniform. In addition, Choi also has the ability to play both sides of offense and defense based on his strong activity.
Seoul Bato, who was listed as the No. 1 homegrown player in the K League, started as a right striker in the last fourth round against Suwon FC. Bato did not score an offensive point on the day, but he impressed by showing daredevil physical fights and dribbles.
Lastly, the performance of new coaches is also drawing attention.
Of the 12 K League 1 teams this season, only two are new coaches: Gangwon coach Chung Kyung-ho and Jeonbuk coach Gus Foye.
Coach Chung Kyung-ho had his first win at a match against Pohang in the second round, and now has two wins, one draw and two losses to rank Gangwon in sixth place. Coach Chung has demonstrated his strength in his 10-year coaching career by making various tactical changes during games. 안전놀이터
Coach Gus Foye, who was appointed as a head coach from the English Premier League (EPL), predicted a rebound in Jeonbuk this season, but has failed to meet expectations with one win, two draws and two losses since the opening. In addition, Daejeon coach Hwang Sun-hong and Daegu coach Park Chang-hyun, who were appointed as firefighters in the middle of last season, have teamed up since winter training this season, and both teams have shown remarkable early performance. Daejeon is currently ranked first with four wins and one loss and Daegu has won two consecutive games since the opening, ranking fifth, which is the exact opposite of last season.