Gimcheon-Gimpo to battle for direct promotion PO on Sept. 29
Gimcheon Sangmu players in action.
Professional soccer’s K League 2 Gimcheon Sangmu, which is challenging to return to
the top division, will be in a crucial battle to secure at least second place this weekend.
Second-place Gimcheon (64 points) will host third-place Gimpo FC (59 points) in the
37th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2 2023 at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 at Gimcheon Sports Complex.
The matchup between Gimpo and Gimcheon is a crucial one as it will determine who goes directly to the Promotion Playoffs (PO) this season.
The first-place team in K League 2 will be promoted automatically, while the second-
place team in K League 2 will play the 11th-place team in K League 1 in the relegation PO.
The third-ranked team will face the winner of the semi-final PO between the fourth-
and fifth-ranked teams, and the winner of that match will face the 10th-ranked team from K-League 1 to determine promotion.
With two to three games left in the season for each team, Gimcheon leads Gimpo by five points.
Gimcheon and Gimpo have three games in hand until the end of the season.
If Gimcheon wins this match, the gap between the two teams will widen to eight points and Gimpo will no longer be able to catch up.
On the other hand, Gimcheon will clinch at least second place in the K League 2 this
season, earning a direct ticket to the promotion PO against the 11th-ranked team in K League 1.
Gimcheon is especially in need of a win against Gimpo, as leader Busan I-Park (66
points), which faces fourth-place Bucheon (54 points), could move into first place if they lose this weekend.
Gimcheon finished 11th in K League 1 last year and tasted relegation to the second tier
after losing two straight games in the promotion PO against K League 2 runners-up Daejeon Hana Citizens.
Gimpo FC secures a spot in the promotion semi-finals
Conversely, Gimpo can secure at least third place with a win against Gimcheon, regardless of their remaining matches.
Gimpo, who qualified for the promotion semi-finals with at least a fifth-place finish in
last weekend’s match, can cut their goal difference to two with a win over Gimcheon
and still hope to secure a direct ticket to the promotion PO.
The matchup between Gimcheon and Gimpo is not an easy one to call. Both teams have been on a tear lately.
Gimpo is the top scorer with 67 goals in 33 games this season, while Gimpo is the
lowest conceded with only 22 goals. It’s literally a spear and shield matchup.
However, Gimpo has won two straight matches this season (2-0, 2-1).
Gimcheon has been on fire lately, scoring a whopping 17 goals during their four-game winning streak.
Over the past four games, Gimcheon has taken down Anyang (4-1), Cheonan (3-1), Bucheon (3-1), and Ansan (7-3), averaging 4.25 goals per game.
Gimpo, on the other hand, is also unbeaten in seven matches (5 W, 2 D, 13 G), including two straight wins. 카지노사이트존