Guarantee checks are on the way as K League 1 reaches 2 million paid spectators for the first time in history
The first “2 million paid spectators” in the history of K League 1 are on the horizon
The 32nd round of ‘Hana Won Q K League 1 2023’, which will be held during the Chuseok holiday, is expected to reach 2 million paid spectators for the first time in K League 1 history. This season, a total of 1,952,852 fans have visited the stadium through Round 31, so if 47,148 or more fans attend the six games in Round 32, the total number of fans will exceed 2 million. Considering the average attendance of 10,499 fans per K League 1 match this season, this is a very achievable goal.
If the 2 million mark is reached, it will be the first time in 10 years since the 2013 season. What makes this season’s record even more special is that it’s the first time since the 2018 season that the league switched to fully paid attendance. The previous highest paid attendance was 1,827,061 in the 2019 season.
Round 32 also features one of the best rivalries in the K League, the East Coast Derby between Pohang and Ulsan, as well as a number of other exciting matches, including the battle for a spot in the Final A and the battle to escape the relegation zone.
Only 4 Final A tickets left…the race is on!
With just two games left in the regular round of the K League 1, only two teams have secured a spot in the Final A: 1st place Ulsan and 2nd place Pohang. With four Final A spots left, a total of six teams are battling it out, from third-place Gwangju to eighth-place Daejeon.
Third-place Gwangju is the favorite. If Gwangju wins against Jeju in Round 32, they will clinch Final A on their own, regardless of the results of other teams. Gwangju’s 10-match unbeaten streak (5 wins, 5 draws) came to a halt in Round 31, but they have arguably been the most consistent team in K League 1 recently. However, Gwangju will be on their toes until the very end, as they are 1-1 against Jeju this season.
Fourth-placed Seoul must win both of their remaining matches to clinch Final A on their own. Seoul will face Suwon FC in Round 32 and Jeonbuk in Round 33. Seoul has been strong against Suwon FC this season with two wins, but has struggled against Jeonbuk, going 19 games without a win (5 draws and 14 losses). However, Seoul currently have the most goals scored (54) of any Final A contender, so they have a goal difference advantage in the event of a tie, and have been on a good run of form since Kim Jin-gyu took over as acting head coach, with two wins, one draw, and one loss in four games. Especially if Seoul hosts Suwon FC in Round 32 and Incheon loses to Suwon, Seoul will clinch a spot in Final A regardless of their remaining matches.
Fifth-ranked Jeonbuk will face sixth-ranked Daegu and fourth-ranked Seoul in their remaining two matches. Of the six teams in the hunt for a spot in Final A, Jeonbuk is the only one to play all of its remaining games against rivals. As such, Jeonbuk’s remaining two matches are “six-point” matches, meaning that a win will be crucial and a loss will be devastating.
Jeonbuk is also the only team in the K League 1 to have never dropped down to the Final B, and will be looking to keep that pride alive this season.
Sixth-ranked Daegu will also have a clear path to Final A depending on the outcome of their match against Jeonbuk in Round 32. If they lose to Jeonbuk, they will need to beat Suwon FC in Round 33 to reach 48 points and then wait to see how the other teams fare. Daegu is currently at a goal difference disadvantage, having scored the fewest goals (33) of any of their Final A competitors, but they are on a roll with three wins and two draws in their last five matches and a clean sheet in four straight.레고토토
Seventh-ranked Incheon will host last-place Suwon in Round 32 and top-ranked Ulsan in Round 33. Neither team is a Final A contender, but Suwon needs to avoid relegation and Ulsan is looking to win the title, so this will be a tough matchup. Incheon is only one point behind sixth-place Daegu, so they’ll be looking to make a last-minute push to secure the Final A spot that’s so close.
Finally, eighth-ranked Daejeon is four points behind sixth-ranked Daegu after 32 rounds, so they need at least one win and one draw to secure four points and see how the other teams fare. Daejeon will need to go all out in this match as a loss against Gangwon in Round 32 would confirm their Final B spot.
Meanwhile, the only other time in the history of K League 1 that the eighth-place team advanced to Final A with two games left in the regular round was Jeju in 2015. If Daejeon succeeds in advancing to Final A this season, it will be the first time in the history of the club.