Four rounds in, and no team is winless.
As is the case every year, the promotion wars in the 2024 season of K-League 2 are ‘epic’. The keyword at the start of this season is ‘leveling’. There are no clear favorites and no clear underdogs. Last weekend, all 13 teams tasted victory, with Seongnam FC claiming a 2-1 home win over Gimpo FC. As of Round 4, it’s the first time since the 2021 season that every team has claimed at least one victory. Back then, K League 2 was a 10-team league.
Looking at the leaderboard, the leveling is even more pronounced. Only one point separates first-place Chungnam Asan (7 points) from eighth-place Suwon Samsung (6 points). The standings are also divided by goal difference and aggregate points. There are also only four points separating the leaders from last place Gimpo (3 points). 안전놀이터 This is the smallest gap between first and last place in the last six seasons. In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, the gap between the top and bottom was as much as nine points.
Every game has been a bite-sized battle. Gyeongnam FC beat Ansan Greeners, Ansan beat Seongnam, Seongnam beat Gimpo, Gimpo beat Busan, Busan beat Suwon, Suwon beat Chungnam Asan, and Chungnam Asan beat Chungbuk Cheongju. FC Anyang (2 wins, 1 draw) is the only unbeaten team. Anyang has even played one game less.
As things stand, the lead is only seven points.
This is the lowest number of points for the leaders after four rounds in the last six seasons. Gwangju FC in 2019, Daejeon Hana Citizens in 2020, and Bucheon FC in 2022 had 10 points by the fourth round.
The race for the top spot has become even more muddled, with Chungnam Asan, Cheonan FC, and Ansan, who were initially categorized as bottom, performing above expectations. Chongnam Asan and Anyang, who missed the playoffs last season, are in first and second place, while Gyeongnam and Gimpo, who made the playoffs last season, are in 12th and 13th place. 바카라사이트 Suwon, Busan, and Seoul Eland, who were considered the “big three” before the start of the season, are also faltering early on. They have already suffered two losses. They are tied with two wins and two losses.
Of course, it’s still early in the season, so there’s a good chance that this group will be reshuffled. However, with the overall leveling, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be as steep as in previous years. As always, the team that comes out of the gate on top can set the tone. This battle for momentum will likely define the contours of this season’s promotion teams.