On the 25th, the 2023 Korean Professional Football K-League, which opens with a confrontation between Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai, is 40 years old. Since taking its first step in Dongdaemun Stadium in Seoul under the name of ‘Super League’ in 1983, a new history has been written every year and every game on the ground for 40 years. It is the same this year. The 228 matches to be played starting with the ‘Hyundai Derby’ on the 25th herald another panorama.먹튀검증

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the K-League, <The Hankyoreh> selected the 40 most ‘hot’ players in the current K-League. The list was selected based on the advice of the coaches and captains of the 12 K-League 1 clubs. These are the names that will drive soccer fans into dramas of joy and sorrow for the next 261 days.

Joo Min-gyu (33, Ulsan) scored the most league goals in his last two consecutive seasons. In 2021, the era of the top scorer for foreign players ended, and this time, he joined Ulsan, the’defending champion’, in pursuit of the championship. Ulsan captain Jeong Seung-hyun said, “When on the other side, he is the worst player, and on our side, he is the best player. It is very good to be away from (me) on the ground,” he praised from the point of view of a defender who had directly encountered it.

Other domestic main guns include Cho Kyu-seong (26) from Jeonbuk and Hwang Eui-jo (31) from FC Seoul. Three out of 22 K-League 1 coaches and captains predicted Cho Kyu-seong as the candidate for the MVP, who has a clear motivation for advancing to Europe this summer following his performance in the World Cup in Qatar. The only two players who received three votes were Cho Kyu-seong and Joo Min-kyu. Hwang Ui-jo, who returned to the K-League after 6 years on a short-term loan, also joined the domestic striker in the third round of scoring competition.

There are also many spearheads of ‘dakgong’ soccer. Suwon FC, which ranked 2nd in team scoring last year (56 goals), has Lee Seung-woo (25) and Lars (32), and Gangwon FC, which caused a sensation in the 6th round, Kim Dae-won (26) and Yang Hyun-jun (21), ‘Choi Yong-soo Kids’, are alive and well. . Jeonbuk is expecting a new ‘boom’ by returning Lee Dong-jun (26), who has excellent speed. Pohang Steelers are putting their hopes on the toes of Kim Seung-dae (32) and Ko Young-jun (22).

In midfield, which can be called ‘the battleground of aces’, there were frequent big transfers. The Suwon Samsung, which had a fiercely competitive time throughout the winter, brought in Kim Bo-kyung (34) from Jeonbuk. Regarding Kim Bo-kyung, who was selected as the league’s best player in 2019, manager Lee Byeong-geun welcomed him, saying, “The ‘technician’ that the team needed has been reinforced.” Hometown rival Suwon FC recruited Yoon Bitgaram (33) from Jeju United. This is a card that will ease Lee Seung-woo’s attack burden.

Incheon United, which is about to make its first appearance in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, built a solid midfield with Lee Myung-joo (33) by joining midfielder Shin Jin-ho (35), who enjoyed a ‘career high’ with Pohang Steelers last year. Jeonbuk injected a young blood called Jeong Tae-wook (26) into the defensive line. Jeonbuk fans hope that he will become a strong back wall for Kim Sang-sik, who dreams of ‘rebuilding the dynasty’.

In Gwangju FC under coach Lee Jeong-hyo, who dominated the 2nd division in both offense and defense and achieved a ‘direct promotion to the 1st division’, defender Ahn Young-gyu (34) and winger Umji-seong (21) stand out. The two entered the best 11 of last year’s K-League 2 season, and Ahn Young-kyu also received the best player award. In Daejeon Hana Citizen, who returned to the first team after 8 years, national team defender Jo Yu-min (27) and left-back Seo Young-jae (28) are expected.

Ulsan’s line-up is at the top of the league. Bakko (30), Lee Kyu-seong (29), and Eom Won-sang (24) are among the first to be counted as contributors to achieving a second consecutive goal. Bako is called a ‘master of depressurization’ among fans, and his colleague Jeong Seung-hyun commented that he is “a player who creates something out of nothing as the best technician in the league.” As the midfielder’s counterweight, Lee Kyu-seong is, as manager Hong Myung-bo said, “a player who completes Ulsan’s tactics.” Ulsan’s accelerator pedal Eom Won-sang, whose growth is steep, is also fierce.

Jeju United increased its momentum with the stability of goalkeeper Kim Dong-jun (29) and the irreplaceable ability of wingback Ahn Hyun-beom (29). Coach Nam Ki-il said of Ahn Hyun-beom, “He is in top-notch condition ahead of the season.” Jeju fans are also interested in whether Koo Ja-cheol (34), who returned from his role as World Cup commentator, will perform well.

FC Seoul has great hopes for the leadership of captain Ilyuchenko (33) and midfielder Palosevich (30). Daegu FC, which once fell to the relegation zone last season, needs Ko Jae-hyeon (24), who scored the most goals in the team (13 goals), to display his unchanging skills. In Jeonbuk, Baek Seung-ho (26), who is already in his 3rd year in the K-League, is taking center stage.

the foreign player quota in the K-League this season has been expanded to ‘5+1’ (5 foreigners + 1 Asian Football Federation nationality), and the foreign player’s performance variable has increased. . Daegu filled all five foreign players with Brazilians, including Cezinya (34), who recorded 80 goals and 53 assists in the K-League career. Director Choi Won-kwon pointed to the newly joined Baselus (25) and said, “He has a lot of ability.”

After recruiting Tiago (30), the top scorer in the second division, from Gyeongnam FC, Daejeon coach Lee Min-seong insisted, “His header is already top-class in the league.” Regarding Yuri (25) of samba soccer, Jeju coach Nam Ki-il said, “I scored 10 goals in pre-season practice matches. He is a competent person who will fill the gap in Joo Min-gyu.” Sandro (33) is playing in Gwangju, Basani (26) in Suwon Samsung, and Zeca (26) in Pohang.

In addition, center back Delbridge (31), a 3rd year K-League player who has made great strides in Incheon, and Gerso (32), a dribbler transferred from Jeju, are key players who will increase the destructive power of Incheon’s ‘Cho Seong-hwan Division’. In Gangwon, midfielder Alibayev (29) is expected to reunite with coach Choi Yong-soo and take on an important role as a link between offense and defense.