"The Daegu Match Is War"… Seoul E-Land, Slipped From 2nd to 4th, Face Daegu Just 1 Point Apart in K League 2 Standings

Seoul E-Land, who were unbeaten in 9 games in 2nd place, have slipped to 4th and meet 2nd-placed Daegu on the 19th. With leaders Suwon Samsung resting in Round 27, 5 teams are fighting within 5 points for a single direct-promotion spot to K League 1.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

Until a week ago, Seoul E-Land were a 2nd-place team on a 9-game unbeaten run (5 wins, 4 draws). Their unbeaten run ended when they lost 0-1 at home in Mokdong to leaders Suwon Samsung on the 12th. They dropped to 3rd right after the match and to 4th by the time of reports on the 16th-18th. On Saturday the 19th at 7 p.m., also in Mokdong, they host 2nd-placed Daegu FC. The two teams' points are 45 to 46, just 1 point apart. If Seoul E-Land win, the two teams swap places.

Seoul E-Land vs. Daegu head-to-head 3-1, Park Jae-yong to make 100th appearance

Seoul E-Land took the first meeting this season. They won 3-1 away at Daegu in Round 5 in March, with Kang Hyeon-je providing 1 goal and 1 assist. But Daegu are different now. They beat Yongin FC 3-1 at home on the 12th, extending their league unbeaten run to 6 games (4 wins, 2 draws) and moving up to 2nd. Daegu Ilbo pointed out that the result of this match will determine whether Daegu can stay in the top 2.

There are two things to watch on Seoul E-Land's side. Park Jae-yong, who has 9 goals and 4 assists this season, will reach a K League career total of 100 matches if he plays in this game. He told FourFourTwo in an interview, "The Daegu match is war... I'll pour out everything." Before kickoff, there will also be an event commemorating manager Kim Do-gyun's 100th career K League win. He reached the 100th win with a 2-0 victory over Chungbuk Cheongju on September 4.

K League 2 teams from 2nd to 6th within 5 points, only 1 direct-promotion spot

Hana Bank K League 2 2026 top 7 teams (as of end of Round 26, 2026.09.13)

Rank	Team	Games	W-D-L	Points	Goal difference	Points gap to 2nd	Round 27
1	Suwon Samsung	25	16-5-4	53	+19	+7	Rest
2	Daegu FC	25	13-7-5	46	+14	—	Away at Seoul E
3	Suwon FC	24	12-9-3	45	+18	-1	Away at Jeonnam
4	Seoul E-Land	25	13-6-6	45	+14	-1	Home vs. Daegu
5	Hwaseong FC	25	12-7-6	43	+14	-3	—
6	Busan IPark	25	12-5-8	41	+8	-5	Away at Gimpo
7	Gyeongnam FC	24	—	33	—	-13	—

Source: Wikipedia 2026 K League 2 standings. Points were cross-checked against reports from Yonhap News, Daegu Ilbo and Max Sports News. 'Points gap to 2nd' is calculated by subtracting Daegu's 46 points from each team's points.

The rules are simple. The top 2 teams at the end of the season go straight up to K League 1, while teams in 3rd-6th play in the promotion playoffs. Since 17 teams play 32 games each, teams that have played 25 games have 7 games left. The gap from 2nd-placed Daegu to 6th-placed Busan is 5 points. Two wins would be worth 6 points, so it is a distance that could be overturned by the results of just two games.

Results at other stadiums on the same day will also shake up the standings. 3rd-placed Suwon FC play away against Jeonnam Dragons at Gwangyang Football Stadium at 4:30 p.m. 6th-placed Busan are reported to face 8th-placed Gimpo (32 points) at Gimpo Solter Football Stadium at 7 p.m. A Sports Seoul column named the Seoul E-Land vs. Daegu match the biggest game of this round.

Suwon Samsung on 53 points, 7-point gap thanks to winner from Dubickas (28)

The player who created the 7-point gap is Lithuanian forward Edgaras Dubickas (28). Born in 1998, he stands 185cm. He can play both up front and out wide. After joining the youth team of Italy's Crotone in 2016, he went through Serie B and C clubs including Lecce, Pisa, Catania and Ternana. He became a free agent when Ternana went bankrupt and joined Suwon on July 24. His debut goal, scored against Seoul E-Land in his 6th game since joining, turned out to be the winner.

Suwon, led by manager Lee Jung-hyo (51), are on a 4-game winning streak and a 9-game unbeaten run (6 wins, 3 draws). Lee has a track record of winning the title in 2022 while leading Gwangju FC, with 86 points, the most in K League 2 history. He signed a 4+1-year contract with Suwon. The amount was not disclosed. Money Today reported that after the Seoul E-Land match, he said, "Being chased and pulling away are different."

Suwon Samsung, with 7 games left, have not yet secured direct promotion either. All rankings and points in this article are as of the end of Round 26 (2026.09.13). They will change immediately depending on the results of Seoul E-Land vs. Daegu, Jeonnam vs. Suwon FC and Gimpo vs. Busan on the 19th. The number of games Suwon FC have played also needs to be rechecked. Wikipedia says they have played one game fewer, while Yonhap News says two games fewer, so it needs to be confirmed against official K League records.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When and where is the Seoul E-Land vs. Daegu match being played?

It will be held at Mokdong Stadium at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 19, 2026. The broadcast schedule has not been confirmed.

Q. What are the K League 2 promotion rules?

The top 2 teams at the end of the season go straight up to K League 1. Teams in 3rd-6th must go through the promotion playoffs (a tournament). 17 teams play 32 games each, and because the number of teams is odd, one team rests each round.

Q. How old is Dubickas?

He was born on July 9, 1998, and is 28 years old. His nationality is Lithuanian. He has made 7 official FIFA A-international appearances for the Lithuania senior national team (per National Football Teams, as of November 2025).

Related official websites

Seoul E-Land FC official website, match information — Match information and home game guide for the Daegu game
Daegu FC official website, schedule and results — Round 27 results and remaining schedule
K League official website (Suwon Samsung club page) — Official league records and club information

Featured image · Archive photo · Not a photo from the match covered in this article · Photo: Wikimedia Commons (WAKA77), Public domain