Welcome to Gazzetta Football Korea, your beginners guide podcast all about South Korean football. Martin Jones is joined each week by Korean football experts Thomas Clark and Hur Yumi, bringing you top flight chat, updates and analysis from the land of the Taegeuk Warriors. Lots of info. Lots of fun. South Korean football for the uninitiated.
Welcome to our 2020 season review! After 162 matches, 35 sex dolls, 28 podcasts, 26 Junior goals, 2 weekends off, 1 great escape to end all great escapes and some amateur bedroom business, we take one last walk through all the K League 1 action from 2020. This is also our final podcast as Gazzetta Football Korea. We only intended to do this for one season, and while we know we're not the best podcast out there, we hope we've shown the commitment, appreciation and respect that Korean football deserves. Thank you so much for all the comments, listens and feedback. We've thoroughly enjoyed doing it - it's been a lot of fun. We hope you've enjoyed it too. All the best for the future. Tom, Yumi, Martin
The final weekend of K League 1 is in the books, and Jeonbuk are crowned champions! The boys from North Jeolla Province proving worthy winners, pipping Ulsan to the title. In the relegation fight, meanwhile, Seongnam and - yes!! - Incheon survive on the final day of the season in what must surely rank as the greatest of their great escapes. Busan IPark the team falling through the trapdoor. We also discuss the sad news about Kim Nam-chun who passed away last week, we pay tribute to the retiring legend Lee Dong-gook and we look ahead to the FA Cup final. What a season we've had, listener, and it's been a lot of fun to cover. Stay subscribed as we take one last dance through the action in our season review podcast (coming soon).
Well there we have it, Luke missed, the Death Star survived, the Empire continues its reign... or put another way Jeonbuk defeated Ulsan to move to within a point of the title. At the other end of the table, Incheon and Seongnam both come from behind to defeat Busan and Suwon respectively and set up a thriller in the ROK on Halloween. Defeat sucked Busan into the relegation conversation and defeat next weekend for any of them will have the gravest of consequences.
Have Pohang just derailed another Ulsan title bid?? The Steelers stick four past their East Coast rivals who finish the game with nine men. Meanwhile, Jeonbuk's routine win over Gwangju sees them draw level with Ulsan at the top. Who do Ulsan play next week? Yep, it's Jeonbuk! In a huge title showdown. Down at the bottom, a point for Busan gives them a bit of daylight above Incheon and Seongnam, both of whom lost. Busan's next games though? Away at Incheon, away at Seongnam! Only two games to go, listener, and it's all in the balance. What a finale!
Things are not looking good for Seongnam as they lose their fourth straight game in a row, leaving them a point off the bottom. Busan record a well overdue victory, Suwon get their third win on the bounce, and Incheon drop back into 12th. In the top half, Gwangju are chilling on the beach with their 6th Place Trophy, and Pohang look set to have a big hand in the title race. Only three matches left!
After 112 days, Incheon move off the bottom of K League 1! This thanks to a 6-0 (SIX) win over Seongnam. The team taking Incheon's place are Busan IPark, who are on a terrible run of form with only one win in twelve. Meanwhile, at the top of the table, a last-minute equaliser by Daegu against Ulsan means defending champions Jeonbuk draw level on points with Ulsan. Four games left, and with all still to play for at both ends of the table, we are set for a cracking end to the 2020 season!
We have a 6th Place Trophy winner! Four teams were in with a shout going into the final day of the regular season. Find out which team won that. Elsewhere, routine victories for Ulsan and Jeonbuk. The relegation battle reels in another team. And an absolute belter of a game between Pohang and Sangju.
Hot takes and reactions on two rounds of a K League 1 season that is cooking along very nicely indeed! Only one gameweek to play before the league splits in two. The race for the title, the 6th Place Trophy and - yes - the relegation battle are all still wide open. We'll bring you up to speed with all the goals, the gaffes, the crazy non-penalties and the even crazier Incheon United stats, so get yourself ready, listener - it's going to be a cracking end to the season!
Another shock loss for champions Jeonbuk, another goal-fest in a Daegu match and three points for Incheon thanks to a hattrick by Mugosa the Moustachioed Montenegrin. We also caught up with Bjorn Johnsen, Ulsan's Norwegian international striker to discuss life in Korea, playing alongside Junior Negrao, Korean weather and Bjorn's international aspirations.
A belting weekend in K League 1 saw 28 goals, the return of a legend, a shock defeat and a CRAZY ten-goal thriller down in Daegu. Elsewhere, the Great Escape narratives go back in the box, there's rain rain and more rain, and we curse football apps that update fixture schedules while you're in the middle of recording a podcast. *facepalm*
Yes folks, we've got a relegation battle! Incheon grab another huge three points, this time versus Suwon Bluewings. Busan upset the odds against Pohang, while UIsan and Jeonbuk take themselves off into a whole different level.
It took 16 weeks of action but it finally happened... that's right Tom praises a goalkeeper, but which one?! The big guns win again, FC Seoul are on a roll and some harsh words for the moronic masses protesting in the capital.
Sangju's Moon Seon-min scores brilliant solo effort to break Busan's resistance. Difficult weather conditions make things awkward for Ulsan and Pohang as they both drop points. An impressive performance by Jeonbuk though. And Daegu - just flat track bullies?
Fans! In the stadiums! What did they see? A controversial red card in the big clash between Jeonbuk and Pohang, late drama in Gangwon vs Sangju and a big chance for Incheon to get their first win of the season in their home match against Gwangju. Could they do it? Listen to find out.
A big statement win for Ulsan Hyundai against Sangju Sangmu. Incheon take a point off another top five opponent. And Jeonbuk's new signings impress on debut. Also, what happens when the VAR monitor breaks down? (Don't ask Busan!)
Sangju Sangmu hand Daegu their second loss in a row as the Army Men consolidate 3rd. Super Seongnam follow up their FA Cup heroics by winning their first league match since gameweek 4. Palacios inspires Pohang. And Incheon almost get their first win of the season! Against Jeonbuk!
Ulsan knock Jeonbuk off top spot after an excellent win against a quality Daegu outfit. Gangwon snap their losing streak in style as they hit Gwangju for four. Incheon and Seongnam grab unlikely points in a difficult weekend for the big teams. And Song on song for the Steelers.
Absolute goal-fest in Gameweek 10! Four teams score four goals, a Super Match that was actually a super match, and a game of two penalties in shock loss for the champs. Also, it's official - Busan IPark are probably good and Gangwon are almost certainly Bournemouth.
Jeonbuk grab massive win against Ulsan in El Hyundai Clasico. Baffling Busan blow chance to beat nine-man Seongnam. And Sangju Sangmu channel even more George Graham-era Arsenal vibes.
Brilliant Cesinha bags a brace against the Bluewings. A late win by Sangju Sangmu at Seongnam sees the army men enter nosebleed territory. And we had two definite contenders for the 'Goal Of The Season By A Right Back' award!
Jeonbuk and Ulsan stretch away from the pack, Suwon Bluewings finally win and our new favourite player - Cesinha!
FC Seoul in freefall as Daegu smash them for six, while Gwangju win the relegation six-pointer against Busan. Incheon in yet more penalty woes, and Pohang's ‘Palocenko' score four in the rain. Otherwise, a good weekend for numbers with 22% of goals scored by Brazilians, 9% by OGs and 4.5% by bums!
Ulsan smash Pohang in the East Coast derby, Suwon Bluewings in trouble after home loss to Gwangju (GWANGJU) and another win for Potato FC! Warning: Koreans also like thunderb*stards and sh*thousery.
Seongnam deliver win (sealed with a Kis), Pohang hit four and Vacuum Cleaner vs Eagle!
FC Immoral get a big away win at the Steel Yard, Incheon United can't hit a barn door and... FIGHTING!
Late winners for the big boys, more goals from "Monstro" and ummm sex dolls??? We also caught up with Pohang Steelers' Aussie midfielder Brandon O'Neill.
Mad Green Boys, commentating in pyjamas and Middlesbrough's greatest ever reject. We also caught up with Simon Hill who did the English-language comms on K-League YouTube for Friday's big clash between Jeonbuk and Suwon. (Three million+ viewers!)
With the 2020 season due to start on Friday 8th May, we talk all things K League 1, from Big Bjorn, mechanical magpies and sneaking into World Cup stadiums. Not got a team? Don't worry, we've got you covered. Catch us on Twitter @GazzettaKorea