Jeonbuk hit post twice, lose 2-0 in Kobe
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors lost 2-0 away to Vissel Kobe in the second match of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) league stage at Misaki Park Stadium in Kobe, Japan, on the 14th. In a clash between last season’s K League 1 and J1 League champions, Jeonbuk fell behind to a Yuya Osako goal in the 11th minute. Lee Seung-woo came on at the start of the second half as Jeonbuk pushed forward, and both Mota’s left-footed shot in the 57th minute and Choi Woo-jin’s long-range effort in the 66th hit the woodwork, but the equalizer never came. Instead, Yuya Kuwasaki added a second for Kobe in the 68th minute. Jeonbuk, who beat Kashiwa Reysol 2-1 in their opener last month, are now at one win and one loss, while Kobe have won both games.
Source: Sports Kyunghyang
League-first Seoul lose 3-0 in Melbourne
K League 1 leaders FC Seoul lost 3-0 to Melbourne Victory in the second match of Group E of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Two (ACL2) at AAMI Park in Melbourne, Australia, on the 14th. To focus on the league title, Seoul left most of their regulars in Korea and traveled with a 20-man squad, with Huiz and Bato the only foreign players. After surviving 11 first-half shots without registering one on target themselves, Seoul conceded in the 63rd minute, then to Clarismario Santos in the 73rd and Jordi Valadon in the 84th. Manager Kim Ki-dong gave young players experience in the second half, including 2009-born Jeong Ha-won. After a 1-0 loss to Persib Bandung in their opener, Seoul are bottom of the group with two defeats. Seoul host Gimcheon Sangmu on the 18th; if Ulsan fail to beat Bucheon on the 17th and Seoul win, they will clinch their first league title since 2016.
Source: Sports Kyunghyang
Lee Dong-gyeong eyes 5th straight
Ulsan HD midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong will try to record an attacking point in a fifth straight match when Ulsan host Bucheon FC in Round 32 of the Hana Bank K League 1 2026 at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium at 4:30 p.m. on the 17th. With 11 goals and 11 assists this season, Lee became the first Korean player to join the K League’s 10-10 club in two consecutive seasons, and he has two goals and three assists in his last four games. Ulsan are second with 47 points after Round 31 but have lost two in a row, and are locked in a tight race with Gangwon FC and Jeju SK (46 points each). A win over 11th-place Bucheon (32 points) would secure a place in Final A on their own. Ulsan have beaten Bucheon twice this season, 2-1 away in March and 1-0 at home in May, with Lee scoring in both. His partnership with league top scorer Yago (15 goals) is also drawing attention.
Source: Ilgan Sports
Ki Sung-yueng: “I know how to help”
Pohang Steelers veteran Ki Sung-yueng, 37, says he will draw on his experience to help the team in the final stretch of the season. Pohang are ninth with 11 wins, 7 draws and 13 losses (40 points), three points behind sixth-place Daejeon Hana Citizen (43). To reach Final A, they must win both remaining games and hope other results go their way. Ki, who joined Pohang in August last year, has one assist in 27 league appearances this season. “As I get older, it takes longer to recover after games,” he said. “But I want to help the team as much as I can within what I’m able to do.” He added that he also focuses on reading the flow of games and advising teammates. After a 2-0 ACLE loss to Johor on the 13th, Pohang host FC Anyang on the 18th and visit Ulsan HD on the 24th. “I don’t have personal goals,” Ki said. “I’ll focus on helping the team finish as high as possible.”
Source: Sports Donga
Golden Boot race: three within two goals
The K League 1 title race may be tilting toward FC Seoul, but the scoring race remains wide open. As of the 14th, Ulsan HD’s Yago leads alone with 15 goals, averaging 0.63 per game over 24 appearances after a recent brace against Gwangju. Second is FC Seoul’s Klimala with 14, whose pace and runs in behind produced the winner against Jeju in Seoul’s last match. Third is Incheon’s Mugosa with 13, who has rediscovered his touch after a summer slump. Mugosa won the K League 1 scoring title in 2024 (15 goals) and the K League 2 title in 2025 (20 goals) while leading Incheon back up; winning this year would give him three straight scoring crowns across the top two divisions. All three scored in Round 31, and Anyang’s Mateus (12) and Ulsan’s Lee Dong-gyeong (11) are also in pursuit.
Source: Sports Kyunghyang