by Jeongho Seo, Football Tribe Korea
The 2018 World Cup is coming, which means K League 1 will take a summer break. While most teams take this time to re-evaluate the first half of the season to prepare for the better, Ulsan are following different steps.
Ulsan announced that Mislav Orsic would join Croatian giants Dinamo Zagreb. According to local media, transfer fees are at around a million Euro. However, his absence will definitely cost Ulsan more than that.
Orsic joined Ulsan last season and appeared in all 38 league games and recorded ten goals and three points, becoming the team’s top scorer. Orsic is indeed the key player of the team. As a left winger, he led Ulsan with his superb dribbling and finishing skills. His speed often initiated the team’s counter-attack.
Ulsan now have to find his alternative to lead the team’s attach, which won’t be as easy; currently there are four wingers at team: Kim Seung-jun, Kim In-sung, Hwang Il-soo and Han Seung-gyu. However, Kim Seung-jun and Kim In-sung play on the right flank, while Han in the centre. This leaves Ulsan no choice but sign a new player, but there aren’t many who have the same class in Asia.
The team is currently sitting on the seventh of the table and were aiming for the better to live up to their reputation. Head coach Kim Do-hoon also announced they would win at least one trophy. Letting the key player won’t achieve that.
Ulsan are not poor either as one of few teams that could afford investing money to deepen the squad before the season started. Losing one of the most important players without any financial difficulties won’t be able to satisfy fans.
