The Hana OneQ K League 1 2023, which continues to be a box office sensation, has turned the corner.
After 19 rounds, the battle for the mid-table is just as fierce as ever, with Ulsan Hyundai’s historic dominance and a single game changing the standings. Equally as interesting as the standings battle is the race for the individual title. The competition is fierce. Players are vying for MVP, Young Player of the Year, goals, and assists. Here’s a look at where the individual titles are headed this season.
The race for MVP, which is awarded to the player who performed the best this season, can be summarized as a “Ulsan family feud. Looking at the history of MVPs coming from the winning team, it’s safe to say that Ulsan has the upper hand. Ulsan has a number of players who are doing well, but there is one who stands out. This is Kim “Lightning” Young-kwon. Kim has started 16 games this season, leading the way for Ulsan. He is the centerpiece of Ulsan’s soccer, which emphasizes buildup. He leads the team in packing ratio, which is the number of opponents he beats when a pass reaches a teammate. His defense is also strong. Unsurprisingly, the team’s performance dances with and without Kim. Ulsan’s 0-2 loss to Jeonbuk Hyundai on the 3rd, when Young-Kwon was out, was somewhat unsettling, even though they went on to win. However, on the 24th, when Young-gwon returned, Ulsan was perfect again against Daegu FC. Even head coach Hong Myung-bo praised Kim’s performance.
In addition to Kim Young-kwon, the team has also seen strong performances from In-joo “The Returned Goalie,” In-jong-kyu, Bacco “The Best Crack in the K League,” and Cho Hyun-woo “The Lightning” Cho. Inhabigyu is leading the team in scoring, while Bako, who has bounced back from an early-season slump, is playing like an ace. Bako is the No. 1 player in Adidas Points, the official player evaluation metric of the Korean Professional Football Association. Cho Hyun-woo has been solid in goal as always. It’s a no-brainer who will win the MVP award. 메이저사이트
If you look outside of Ulsan, there’s no clear favorite. However, FC Seoul’s Na Sang-ho and Suwon FC’s Ras are worthy contenders. Na Sang-ho has 8 goals and 2 assists. While he’s come down a bit from his early impact, he’s still one of the most potent strikers in the league. He’s third in Adidas points. Lars is first in offensive points (12). He has 7 goals and 5 assists. He’s one of the most powerful strikers in the league, even if his team’s low ranking is keeping him from being recognized.
The top scorer will be looking to return to the top of the scoring charts. After leading the 2021 season with 22 goals, Injongyu tied Cho Kyu-sung (Jeonbuk Hyundai) with 17 goals last season, but was unable to finish second in the top scorer’s race due to a lack of playing time. Since moving to Ulsan, he has been a consistent scorer, leading the team with 10 goals. The competition comes from within. Bacoda. With 10 goals, he’s right up there with In-Joo. In terms of his recent scoring pace, he has the edge.
This season’s top scorer race is also dominated by foreigners. Six of the top 10 are foreigners. Thiago (Daejeon Hana Citizen), Lars (7+ goals), Rubikson (Ulsan), and Yuri Jonatan (Jeju United – 6+ goals) are also in the hunt.