MOTORS STALL AS STEELERS END JEONBUK’S UNDEFEATED STREAK

Pohang: AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors saw their nine-match undefeated streak in the K League Classic end on Saturday as the defending South Korean champions went down 3-0 to Pohang Steelers in their Round 25 meeting at the Steelyard.

Choi Jae-soo, on loan at Pohang from Suwon Samsung Bluewings, opened the scoring in the 20th minute, with the left-back’s first-half effort looking to be sufficient to give all three points to the 2009 AFC Champions League winners.

But goals in the last two minutes from Kim Seung-dae (89th), who made his first appearances for the Korea Republic national team during a second-string Taeguk Warriors’ victorious 2015 EAFF East Asian Cup campaign, and Kim Dae-ho (90th) gave the score line a more flattering perspective.

The defeat, Jeonbuk’s first in ten K League Classic matches, kept the league leaders on 53 points, ten clear of closest challengers Suwon, who could close the gap if they can defeat ninth-place Jeju United in their Round 25 clash in Seogwipo on Sunday.

Jeonbuk return to continental action on August 26 when they host last year’s Japanese treble winners Gamba Osaka at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium in the first leg of their 2015 ACL quarter-final, before the battle of the two former champions continues on September 16 at the Expo ’70 Stadium, home of the 2008 ACL champions.