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Ulsan HD defeated Bucheon FC 1995, who were playing with one man down, to end their losing streak and secure a spot in Final A.
In their home match for Hana Bank K League 1 2026 Round 32 held at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium on the 17th, Ulsan recorded a 2-1 comeback victory over Bucheon.
With 50 points (15 wins, 5 draws, 12 losses), Ulsan solidified their second-place standing and widened the gap with seventh-placed Incheon United (42 points) to eight points, clinching a berth in Final A (top six teams) regardless of the results of remaining matches.
Had Ulsan drawn or lost on this day, and if league leader FC Seoul (65 points) had won their match against Kim Cheon (SVP) on the 18th, Seoul's early title clinch could have been confirmed. However, Ulsan's comeback victory pushed Seoul's title confirmation to a round after next.
Bucheon fell into a slump of eight consecutive matches without a win (1 draw, 7 losses) and remained in 11th place (32 points).
Bucheon scored the opening goal. In the 15th minute of the first half, Park Jeong-in finished with a right-footed shot from a free kick taken just outside the penalty area. Park Jeong-in, who came through Ulsan's youth academy, struck a blow to his former club but kept his celebration restrained.
Ulsan, mounting a counterattack, saw Jung Seung-hyun hit the back of the net in the 27th minute of the first half, but the goal was disallowed after video assistant referee (VAR) review ruled Yago offside.
In the second half, Ulsan leveled the match. In the 9th minute of the second half, Lee Jin-hyeon, receiving a pass from Lee Dong-kyung, fired a left-footed curling shot from just outside the box to equalize. Lee Dong-kyung, who provided the assist, has now recorded offensive points in five consecutive matches (2 goals, 4 assists), surging ahead as the league's sole leader in assists with 12.
In the 15th minute of the second half, Bucheon's Kim Seung-bin was sent off for a second yellow card following a hard tackle, causing the momentum to shift dramatically.
With the numerical advantage, Ulsan intensified their pressure and eventually scored the go-ahead winning goal from a corner kick in the 38th minute of the second half. Jung Seung-hyun headed Lee Dong-kyung's cross back into the path of Yago, who was surging toward the goal, and Yago finished with his right foot to send the ball past the keeper. With his 16th goal of the season, Yago firmly maintained his position at the top of the league scoring charts.
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*This content was translated by AI.View Original
