SEOUL, - With some help from rival clubs Saturday, Ulsan Hyundai FC will be in position to repeat as the South Korean football champions by Sunday afternoon.
With four matches remaining, Ulsan hold an eight-point lead over Pohang Steelers at 67-59, atop the K League 1 tables.
If Pohang end up in a draw or a loss against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on Saturday, then Ulsan will wrap up their second straight championship by beating Daegu FC on Sunday.
The Jeonbuk-Pohang match kicks off at 2 p.m. Saturday at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonbuk's home of Jeonju. Ulsan will host Daegu beginning at 2 p.m. Sunday at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan.
Jeonbuk have lost three straight against Pohang but have been in better form of late, with three wins and a loss in their past four matches.
Pohang, on the other hand, have gone winless in their last four matches, with three draws and one loss. They've scored just once in that span, unable to take advantage of Ulsan's shoddy play of late.
Pohang are missing a few key players with injuries. Forward Wanderson and midfielder Oberdan are already out for the season, while defender Alexander Grant and forward Paik Sung-dong remain on the sidelines.
Ulsan have not scored a goal in their past three matches, while posting two draws and one loss. Despite the comfortable lead at the top, Ulsan haven't looked as dominant as earlier in the year, with their offensive woes compounded by defensive lapses.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo is hoping Ulsan will be able to build on their most recent match action, a 3-1 win over Johor Darul Ta'zim in Group I action at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League on Tuesday.
"I've told the players that we should try to wrap this up this week," Hong said. "But we can't afford to relax at any moment."
The K League 1 is in the midst of the final stretch. After 33 matches, the 12 teams were divided into two tiers: Final A for the top six and Final B for the bottom six. Clubs will play five matches -- one against each opponent within their own groups -- to finish out the season.
Source: Yonhap News Agency