Bluewings stay alive in K League 1 with one week to go

Last-place Suwon Samsung Bluewings managed a 1-0 win against FC Seoul on Saturday, leaving three teams — including themselves — one final chance to avoid direct relegation before the end of the league schedule.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings' Rodrigo Bassani celebrates scoring a goal during a K League match against FC Seoul at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Saturday. [YONHAP]

Last-place Suwon Samsung Bluewings secured a much-needed three points on Saturday with a 1-0 win against FC Seoul, keeping their hopes of staying in K League 1 alive until the very end of the league schedule, which closes this weekend.

The Super Match — a clash between the Bluewings and FC Seoul — at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul was a crucial match for the Bluewings, as a loss or draw would have put them in a difficult position to avoid direct relegation to the K League 2.

Rodrigo Bassani’s winner in the 63rd minute sealed an important three points for the Bluewings, putting their total at 32, although the team failed to escape out of last place on the 12-team table.

A maximum of three K League 1 sides can face relegation to the second division every year, with the last-place team facing direct relegation at the end and the winner of the K League 2 automatically replacing the 12th-place team.

The second-place team in the K League 2 plays the 11th-place team in the K League 1, with the winner of that game playing the next season in the top tier.

As if that wasn't complicated enough, the fourth- and fifth-place K League 2 teams then play each other, with the winner then facing the third-place finisher. The winner of that game plays the 10th-place K League 1 team in yet another playoff, with the winner of that game also playing the next season in the top tier.

As things stand at the moment, Gangwon FC sit in 10th place with 33 points, and Suwon FC are in 11th with 32 points. The two sides played against each other on Saturday and switched league standings.

Suwon FC are tied on points with local rivals Bluewings, but edge them out by more goals scored — the next deciding factor when teams are tied.

The Bluewings can still avoid direct relegation, as they face 10th-place Gangwon on Dec. 2 for the last league match of the 2023 season. They may climb up to 10th or 11th place, if they manage a win and Suwon FC record a loss or draw this weekend.

Up at the top of the table, the Pohang Steelers locked in a runner-up spot with a 1-0 win against Daegu FC on Saturday with one match left to play.

The Pohang Steelers' Zeca in action during a K League match against Daegu FC at Pohang Steelyard in Pohang, North Gyeongsang in a photo shared on the Steelers' official Facebook account on Monday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The Steelers’ runner-up finish also meant that a third-place team in the K League 1 will play the playoffs for the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) next season.

K League 1 winners and Korean FA Cup champions earn a spot in the ACLE, while K League runners-up win a chance to play in the 2024-25 ACLE playoffs.

But since the Steelers are both the FA Cup champions and K League runners-up this season, a third-place K League 1 side will play in the playoffs instead.

A fourth-place K League 1 team, on the other hand, will play in the inaugural AFC Champions League 2 — a second-tier club tournament by the AFC — next season.

The team joining the Steelers and Ulsan Hyundai, who are this season’s K League champions and locked in the league title on Oct. 29, will be determined this weekend.

Just one point separates third-place Gwangju FC with 58 points and fourth-place Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors with 57. The two sides played each other on Saturday, with Jeonbuk managing a 2-0 win at home.

Fifth-place Incheon United with 56 points may snatch the third-place, if they win their last game against Daegu on Sunday and Jeonbuk and Gwangju both record losses.

Daejeon Hana Citizen also claimed a 2-0 win against Jeju United on Saturday in Jeju, locking in an eighth-place finish.

This weekend wraps up the 2023 K League 1 schedule, and the 10th- and 11th-place teams head into the playoffs against K League 2 sides shortly after the regular season.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]