The K League 1 Wrap-Up: Pohang Steelers' Derby Day Victory, FC Seoul's Late Show, and Mid-Table Gridlock | OneFootball

An exciting Saturday wasn't followed up by a particularly noteworthy Sunday, but there's still plenty of K League 1 to discuss this week. As such, columnist Nathan Sartain has the wrap-up for round six.

There’s been a fair few late winners already this season, but FC Seoul’s dramatic pair of goals to earn them a 3-2 victory at home to Daegu FC has to be perhaps the most exciting late showing of the bunch.

Part of the above being true comes from the fact that the game as a whole was so thrilling. In the first-half, Seoul dominated play, taking five shots on target, one of which was blocked off the line. Ultimately, it was a Jesse Lingard penalty which saw the capital city side head into the break with a 1-0 lead, and at the time it felt like the game was heading in only one direction.

Daegu, though, had other ideas. As the second-half started, they sprang into life, testing the Seoul goal before soon scoring an equaliser via a Kyohei Yoshino tap-in from a corner. Prior to the Sky Blues taking the lead by way of a smart Jeong Chi-in finish, Lingard would miss his second penalty of the game, and so it suddenly looked as if despite having plenty of chances, it mightn’t be FC Seoul’s day after all.

In injury time, however, the script would flip again. A fantastic Jeong Seung-won volleyed effort, coupled with a fiery celebration period, gave Seoul their equaliser, and the initiative to shortly head back into the lead through Moon Seon-min. Following that, it was the capital city side’s turn to block something off the line, giving fans one last piece of drama before the full-time whistle.

This is the exact type of game you want to see more of as a neutral, and it pushes Seoul into third-place, while Daegu have now lost three consecutive games.

Pohang Steelers' East Coast Derby Victory

After a bumpy start to the year, Pohang Steelers have steadily rebuilt their form. It started with a pair of draws - first a goalless stalemate against Daegu, then a resilient two-goal turnaround to come away with a 2-2 against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors - but quickly developed into more. During the international break, a rescheduled round four fixture saw the Steelers score an 101st-minute winner to beat Gwangju FC 3-2, and visibly demonstrate their growing confidence.

But Saturday’s 1-0 East Coast Derby triumph over Ulsan HD was a complete performance. Defensively solid and confident in general play, Pohang rose to the occasion, always appearing ready to take their chance when it would come their way. Of course, they duly did, with Lee Ho-jae’s rebound strike after 79 minutes feeling very much like a capitalisation on a strong second-half, as opposed to any sort of smash-and-grab against the reigning champions. It now seems like Park Tae-ha’s squad have found their feet again, and are ready to push up the table.

The Sub-10 Point Scramble

Separating fifth from 11th is just two points. This comes after two key results on Sunday: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors’ narrow 1-0 away win against FC Anyang, and Jeju SK’s similar 1-0 triumph over bottom-place Suwon FC. Again, it highlights the overall competitive nature of the league so far, and particularly in the mid-table range it does feel like there’s a sense that anyone can beat anyone.

In that large group though, Gangwon FC will want to begin pushing forward again following back-to-back losses, while Gwangju FC will hope to turn some promising performances into victories after three without a win (two draws, one loss).

Top of the Table Talk

At the top of the table, Daejeon’s lead stands at two points. The Purples couldn’t extend their winning run to four games this weekend, but coming from behind to get a 1-1 draw against a Gwangju side that has largely been impressive in 2025 is nothing to panic over.

In terms of prospective other title challengers though, Gimcheon Sangmu will be pleased with their 1-0 win against Gangwon FC. Not only does it extend their unbeaten run to five games (three wins, two draws), but it pushes them into second, and with the quality their squad possesses, right into the mix. And, while Ulsan suffered an East Coast Derby defeat this round, you can never write them off, and almost know for certain there’ll be at least one significant stretch of positive form awaiting them at some stage this year.

And that’s about all really. As of right now, the top four seem best equipped to push for silverware, while every other spot in the table appears firmly up for grabs. Only Suwon FC look in any danger of being somewhat cast adrift, particularly as the only winless side in the division, but when it’s this early in the season, it would be foolish to write them off right now.