"Riding on the Cleansman" is unfamiliar, and "Bonus at the end."
Joo Min-kyu (33, Ulsan Hyundai), who scored 22 goals for Jeju United in the 2021 K League 1, scored the same 17 goals as Cho Kyu-sung (Mit Whelan), a Jeonbuk Hyundai striker, last year, but he did not become the top scorer for the second consecutive year with six more games (37 games for Joo Min-kyu and 31 games for Cho Kyu-sung).
It is Joo Min-kyu, who is trying to become the top scorer this year again. Joo Min-kyu, who appeared as a starter against Incheon United in the 37th round of the Hana One Q K League 1 2023 Final A held at Incheon Football Stadium on the 24th, tried to score a goal all the time, but it was not easy.
Team organization is not completely built. It was not easy to motivate him to win the K League 1. Cho Hyun-woo, Kim Young-kwon, Kim Tae-hwan and Seol Young-woo returned home on the 22nd after the A team's second Asian qualifying match for the 2026 North-China World Cup. Not everything was solved with just one day of training, and he played against Incheon.
Although he endured well in the first half, his physical strength in the second half and Incheon's attack work centered on counterattacks were completed compared to Ulsan. In the end, he was dragged after giving up three goals, and in the 44th minute, Joo Min-kyu, who was the kicker of the penalty kick obtained by Park Hyun-bin's foul, shook the net and was satisfied with avoiding 1-3, defeat.
Ulsan is heading to Bangkok, Thailand, on the 25th. The team will play the fifth away match of the 2023-24 Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) group stage against Pathum United (Thailand) scheduled for the 28th. I joined the A national team It is simply a hectic schedule for the players who returned to Ulsan.
Of course, the same goes for other players who have played a long season. The same goes for Martin Adam, who returned home after serving as a driving force for Hungary's national team to advance to the 2024 European Championship (Euro 2024). He has been playing the role of a central striker by helping Dominique Sobosly (Liverpool) score, but he has returned.
Ulsan is in second place with six points in Group I, far behind Kawasaki Frontale (12 points). The match against Pathum is a game that should not be missed in order to get a ticket to the round of 16 given to the top three teams in the group. Among the current second places, they have fewer points along with Jeonbuk Hyundai (6 points) in Group F after J Urawa Reds (4 points, Japan).
He has to reach the round of 16 to save his pride, but it is also true that it is a considerable challenge. If they go to the round of 16, they have to decide whether to advance to the quarterfinals through home and away games in mid-February. Before the start of the season, there is a possibility that the entire schedule will be adversely affected by not being able to make a proper body and playing the game. Ulsan shows that the K-League is deeply concerned about the ACL changed to the autumn system.
It was Joo Min-kyu, who left the team's situation behind and moved dynamically throughout the game, including competition for aerial balls. After the game, he met with "Spotv News" and said, "I'm very grateful for what my teammates tried to help me really hard. Also, it is true that I feel sorry. If it wasn't for that, I'd like to play normally. I felt the part that was trying to help me while I was playing. "It would have been really nice to have the result, but it's a bit of a shame," he said, expressing deep regret that he could not play a 100% role.
It is not easy to finish beautifully after achieving the goal of winning. Coach Hong Myung-bo wanted to stand in front of his fans by emphasizing his "posture like a winning team player" before the game, but it was also true that it was not easy.
He said, "I'm a professional and I got the result I wanted. "It's not easy to be motivated because it feels like the season is over," he said, adding, "It's my first time experiencing this." I don't know how the other players will feel, but it was a little hard for me to concentrate. However, personally, he had a clear goal (scoring). That's why I feel like I've put a bit of energy in. It's a game that you have to reflect on," he said.
The final league match will be held on December 3 ahead of the championship ceremony at home against Jeonbuk, the "modern rival." You can't sprinkle ash on your own at a feast. It is one goal behind Daejeon Hana Citizen's Thiago, who will play an away game against Jeju United on the 25th. If Thiago is driven, there is a possibility that it will drop to second place.
His commitment to the top scorer is certain. He said, "First of all, we have to beat Fatoum. Getting to the round of 16 is a priority. In fact, the last game of the league is meaningless (if you come back without a win). I will focus on those two games (Fatum, Jeonbuk). There are Adam and Kim Ji-hyun, so I think I should prepare to help and win," he explained.
If he becomes the top scorer, will he be lucky to join the national team. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann seems to be solidifying the systems of Cho Kyu-sung, Hwang Ui-jo (Norwich City), and Oh Hyun-kyu (Celtic). However, Hwang Ui-jo has been criticized for the privacy leak scandal. He was also questioned by the police as a suspect. Coach Klinsmann is defending Hwang Ui-jo with the "principle of presumption of innocence," but the victim's legal representative is responding strongly and civil society organizations have even called for Hwang Ui-jo to be disqualified from the national team.
Hwang Ui-jo's development is complicated. This means that the possibility of an opportunity for Joo Min-gyu is as narrow as a needle hole, but it is open. Of course, I have no intention of taking advantage of my colleague's situation, but the story is different if the situation changes due to personal history that degrades the dignity of the representative player, not common to athletes like the fall caused by injury.
After Christmas, the national team will gather in the southern part of the country, where the weather is relatively cold, and then decide on the final list. There is a possibility that Joo Min-kyu, who is heading to his mid-30s, will have a chance. Although it is a cross between the possibility and regret of repeating itself tirelessly, it is an area that needs to be challenged if the national team has even a 1% chance of starting before retirement. During former head coach Paulo Bento's time, he already experienced more nervousness and regret than anyone else about the possibility of selection, and his mind became stronger.