‘Chungcheong Province’s soccer dominance has changed in just six months. Cheongju is now the leader.
The battle of egos between teams with ties to the Chungcheong region that has been going on in K League 2, sometimes subtly and sometimes overtly, seems to have come to an end. With the exception of Daejeon Hana Citizens, who were promoted to K League 1, there are now three teams with ties to the Chungcheong region remaining in K League 2, and Cheongju has overwhelmingly beaten out the other two.
The rest of the season looks almost impossible to overcome. Even Chungcheongnam Asan FC, the previous ‘heavy favorite,’ is 10 points behind. At the very least, the title of “Chungcheong Province Mengju” in K League 2 this season is likely to go to Cheongju. Despite being a ‘newcomer to the K-League,’ Chungbuk Cheongju is showing the face of a powerhouse team with clear team colors.
Originally, Chungnam Asan, the original K League 2 team, claimed the title of ‘Chungcheongbuk-do’. Chungnam Asan also achieved the feat of winning the K League 2 title (2018) during its predecessor Asan Mugunghwa. At that time, the team was supposed to be automatically promoted to the first division, but due to the abolition of the National Police Agency’s medical economy, the team was considering disbanding, so it was promoted to the second-place Seongnam FC. In the end, Asan Mugunghwa was disbanded at the end of the 2019 season, but since the 2020 season, it has been reborn as Chungnam Asan FC and has been defending the K League 2.
However, since this year, Chungbuk Cheongju and Cheonan City FC have joined the K League 2, creating a strange competitive landscape. While Chungnam Asan, the ‘eldest brother’, tried to avoid comparisons to its ‘younger brother’, Chungbuk Cheongju and Cheonan FC saw Chungnam Asan as a ‘wall to overcome’, and the two teams showed a sense of rivalry even before the start of the season, citing ‘founding motives’.
However, the external evaluation was still leaning towards Chungnam Asan’s advantage. However, after the opening match, an interesting result emerged. In the opening match, Chungbuk Cheongju defeated Seoul Eland 3-2, signaling a breakthrough. While Cheonan predictably slipped to the bottom of the league and failed to accumulate any wins, Chungbuk Cheongju created a great rivalry with Chungnam Asan.
After an upward curve in early March, Chungbuk Cheongju fell to the bottom of the league in April. At this time, Chungnam Asan rose again and secured a mid-table position, showing the pride of the ‘eldest brother of Chungcheongnam soccer’. However, the prelude to a reversal began in early June. Chungbuk Cheongju transformed into a team that never loses. 토스카지노
Chungbuk Cheongju has been unbeaten in 13 consecutive matches, last seen in the 15th round (0-2 loss) against Gyeongnam FC on May 27. This is a new K League 2 record. On the last two days, they drew against ‘league leader’ Gimcheon Sangmu with a tenacious defensive effort. Coach Choi Yoon-gyeom’s defensive skills are shining day by day. The team is currently seventh in the league with a whopping 27 points after 13 matches (W7 D6 L). Chungnam Asan, on the other hand, have been unable to solve their goal-poverty problem and are currently 10th in the league.
If Chungbuk Cheongju, which is showing its “undefeated power,” can keep up the momentum, it could challenge for the promotion playoffs in its first year of existence. The gap between fifth-place Gyeongnam FC and sixth-place FC Anyang is just five and two points, respectively. Filling the gap