The struggling Um Won-sang (26, Ulsan) finally broke through.

Ulsan Hyundai won 3-2 against Gimcheon Sangmu on the 24th in the 15th round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2025 held at Ulsan Munsu Stadium, with Um Won-sang scoring the winning goal. With 26 points, Ulsan climbed to 3rd place, while Gimcheon (25 points) fell to 4th.

Ulsan operated a 4-4-2 formation. The two forwards were Eric and Yoon Jae-seok, supported by Ko Seung-beom, Jung Woo-young, Bojanic, and Lee Chung-yong in midfield. The back four consisted of Rubikson, Kim Young-kwon, Seo Myeong-kwan, and Kang Sang-woo, with Jo Hyun-woo as the goalkeeper.

Gimcheon faced off with a 4-4-2 formation. Yoo Gang-hyeon and Lee Dong-gyeong led the attack, supported by Kim Seung-seob, Seo Min-woo, Kim Bong-soo, and Mo Jae-hyun in midfield. The back four consisted of Choi Ye-hun, Park Chan-yong, Park Seung-wook, and Park Su-il, with goalkeeper Kim Dong-heon.

The opening goal came from Gimcheon. In the 30th minute of the first half, Lee Dong-gyeong scored the opening goal against his former team, Ulsan, and roared in celebration. This marked his sixth goal of the season. In the 58th minute of the second half, Park Su-il added a second goal. It seemed that Gimcheon had seized the momentum with a 2-0 lead.

Ulsan awakened in the second half. In the 72nd minute, Eric scored a goal from a penalty kick, laying the groundwork for a comeback. The solution came from Eric. In the 87th minute, Eric connected with a cross from Um Won-sang on the right, heading it into the corner where the goalkeeper could not reach. Eric recorded his 6th and 7th goals in a single match.

Um Won-sang finished off the match. In the 89th minute, Park Min-seo received a long pass from Bojanic and laid it off for Um Won-sang, who finished with his left foot, scoring the winning goal.

After the match, Um Won-sang, selected as the standout player, said, "My teammates gave me good passes, making it easy to score. There were many fans. With help from my teammates and the coach, I overcame my slump. I think this is just the beginning. It is important to continue performing steadily like this."

This season, Um Won-sang broke his scoring drought with his first goal in 16 matches. He provided a goal and an assist against Gimcheon, creating a turning point. Um Won-sang noted, "I was struggling internally. It was the hardest time in the K League. I felt sorry for not being able to help the team since I wasn’t scoring goals. By winning with my goal, I feel a little better now," and finally smiled.

The reigning champions, Ulsan, have climbed to 3rd place but have yet to meet the expectations of the fans. Um Won-sang stated, "I know we are not performing up to expectations. If you support us, we can overcome it. The goal of winning has not changed. We must give our best in the remaining matches."

[OSEN]