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| Players of FC Seoul celebrates with coach Choi Yong-soo after beating Busan I'Park 3-1 at the Gudeok Main Stadium in Busan, Thursday. Yonhap |
By John Duerden
It has been another long season in the K League and it is coming to an end with just a couple of issues to be settled. The major one will be sorted on Sunday afternoon but the mere fact that FC Seoul is in a relegation playoff at all is quite a shock.
The capital club won the first leg against Busan I'Park 3-1 on Thursday and should avoid the drop to the second tier, but it has been a painful season.
Seoul was champion in 2016, just three years after being a finalist in the 2013 Asian Champions League. From being one of the best teams in the world's biggest continent to being the worst but one in the K League within five years, the fall from grace has been swift for a club that has won three titles in this decade.
Coach Hwang Sun-hong's departure in April was probably not the worst thing that could have happened. Under the former international, Seoul started to stagnate a little and finished fifth last season without any hint of a title challenge and without much in the way of exciting soccer.
Some of the stars of old such as Park Chu-young, Ha Dae-sung and Go Yo-han are still there, but the old magic is not. The release of veteran striker Dejan Damjanovic ahead of this season was a mistake after he scored 19 goals in 2017.
This season did not start particularly well and Hwang resigned in April. Then former midfield favorite Lee Eul-yong came in to take charge for a limited time. The expected turnaround never materialized and Seoul continued to struggle.
In October the club turned in desperation to Choi Yong-soo, another former international. Choi spent was in charge of Seoul from 2011-16, winning the league in 2012 and reaching the continental final a year later.
But the club finished in 11th out of 12 teams thanks to a last game loss to army club Sangju Sangmu. While many fans will take pleasure in seeing a giant fall, it has to be asked whether it is good for the league for a big club to struggle so much.
Seoul rival Suwon Bluewings have not exactly had the best season either, finishing sixth. The only bright spot was a place in the semifinal of the 2018 Asian Champions League when the team really should have defeated Kashima Antlers of Japan and gone on to the final. Domestic form has not been as impressive.
The games between Seoul and Suwon were not just big games in their own right and usually resulted in the biggest attendance of the K League season. They were important events in the title race, with two top teams fighting it out for three points.
Korean soccer needs a strong Seoul and a strong Suwon, but if Seoul does drop down to the second tier, the team will just have to accept it and fight to get back to the top. That is soccer.
