“It’s all thanks to our players. Last year, I gained confidence by winning the league for the first time in 17 years. My goal is to win the championship with higher points than last year.”
Director Hong Myung-bo (54), whom I recently met at the Ulsan Hyundai clubhouse in Dong-gu, Ulsan, said this with a calm expression. There was no ‘winner’s composure’ or ‘carelessness’ on his face. In this season’s K-League 1, defending champion Ulsan, who won the turning point (round 19), is the overwhelming leader with 47 points (15 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses). They were 13 points ahead of second place Pohang Steelers (34 points). Ulsan won the league championship trophy with 76 points last season, but in the first half of this season, it has already achieved more than 60% of last year’s total points.
At your current pace, you can rack up up to 94 points. After the introduction of the promotion and relegation system in 2013, it can far surpass Jeonbuk Hyundai in 2018 (86 points at the time), which won the K-League 1 with the most points ever. Coach Hong said, “I didn’t expect to greet the second half with the first place ahead of the second place team by such a large gap.” “he said.
The secret to Ulsan’s rise is ‘last attack (attack until the last moment)’. Whether they are losing or leading by a large score, it is a tactic that continues to attack until the final whistle blows. With the victory last year, which was the second year since Ulsan, which had been runner-up all along, coach Hong said, “After winning the championship, the reason Ulsan has been second in the meantime was not because of the lack of skill or popularity of the players. ‘One team spirit’ in which all players run toward the same goal. “I asked them to run after seeing only the common goal of this season, ‘victory,’” he explained.
As a result, even after giving up the opening goal this season, Ulsan turned around in 4 games, which accounted for 30% of the total 15 wins. There are as many as 2 games that have been lost and then drawn. Ulsan, who scored a total of 57 goals last year, is currently recording 43 goals. Leading strikers Joo Min-kyu and Bako (Georgia) scored 10 goals each, ranking first and second in scoring. Between the Ulsan players and home fans, there is a belief that the game can be overturned at any time even if it is lost. Director Hong laughed, saying, “I’m happy to be able to show fans fun soccer,” but “As a coach, I get upset when I’m losing. Personally, it’s better to score the first goal and win than come from behind.”
Director Hong’s ‘final performance’ is possible because Ulsan is a powerful city where there is no boundary between starters and candidates. Ulsan is supported by national team players across all positions, including Kim Young-kwon, Jo Hyun-woo, Eom Won-sang, and Joo Min-gyu. Foreign players such as Martin Adam (Hungary), Daryan Boyanić (Sweden), and Bakko are also from their national team. Even star players often fail to play. Director Hong leads the team with his unique ‘respect leadership’ and strong charisma at the same time.
He honestly talks about the ‘why he can’t play’ to the candidates메이저놀이터. He said he never made promises he couldn’t keep, such as ‘I’ll appoint you next time’. Instead, when I make up for the lacking part, I try to give it a chance. Coach Hong, who played in Japan and the United States during his active career, approaches foreign players first and gives them advice while taking a walk. He is well aware of living in a foreign country and intends to help him adapt. Coach Hong got closer by giving all players the MBTI personality type test, which is popular among young people, and holds a meeting with the entire team once a week.
Coach Hong revealed the secret of the original team, saying, “I try to be honest with the players. I also try to respect people as human beings without distinction between starters and substitutes. In particular, my heart goes out to players who can’t play.” However, he turns into a ‘tiger coach’ for players who break the rules. He said, “Anyone can have complaints, but not expressing it is also a virtue of a professional. Players who have broken the ‘one team’ cannot be respected.” Director Hong dreams of a richer season than last year with ‘One Team Ulsan’. He expressed his aspirations for winning two crowns, saying, “As a professional team coach, championship titles are important. If we won the league last year, we will challenge for more than two championships this year, including the Asian Champions League.”