Dark clouds are full of Korean Air and Hyundai E&C, the top men’s and women’s professional volleyball teams. They are facing the biggest crisis this season, losing to the lowest team in the league and falling into a losing streak themselves.
As a result, Hyundai E&C and Korean Air are expected to see a watershed in the economy of Korea Expressway Corporation and KB Insurance at 7:00 pm on the 14th. If they fail to score points, they will give the second-place team an excuse to overtake.
‘2 consecutive losses’ Hyundai E&C, troubled by the succession of injuries
Hyundai E&C (61 points) was on fire. Heungkuk Life Insurance (60 points), which is in second place, is in a situation where it is unknown when it will increase its points and reclaim first place. On the 11th, Heungkuk Life Insurance lost to IBK Industrial Bank (34 points, 6th place) and failed to score points, but on the 15th, the league’s lowest ranked Pepper Savings Bank (9 points, 7th place) is ahead of the game. It seems a matter of time for Heungkuk Life Insurance to reverse.
Hyundai E&C is suffering from a series of injuries to key players. This is because the main offensive player, Yasmin Bedart (registered name Yasmin), followed by Kim “Libero” Yeon-gyeon left the team and the offense and defense collapsed. Hyundai E&C has maintained its No. 1 position with only domestic players for about two months while Yasmin fell from the horse due to a back injury in December of last year.
However, in the match against Heungkuk Life Insurance on the 7th, he suffered a shutout (0-3) loss and allowed a tie in points. On this day, ‘Libero’ Kim Yeon-gyeon had a gap of at least two weeks due to an ankle injury, leaving a hole in the defense. For Hyundai E&C, the departure of Kim Yeon-gyeon, who showed a stable appearance in defense and receiving, is inevitable.
They recently acquired Yvone Montaño (registered Montaño) from Colombia to replace Yasmin, but it still doesn’t look hopeful. As soon as Montaño was recruited, Hyundai E&C put it into the match against Pepper Savings Bank on the 10th, but lost 2-3. This is because Montaño entered the court without undergoing an adaptation period. Hyundai E&C, which has won two consecutive losses, continues to compete on thin ice with Heungkuk Life Insurance, which has a one-point difference.
‘4 consecutive losses’ Korean Air, 30’s main physical strength management and mercenary chopping board
Korean Air (56 points) is currently mired in four consecutive losses. Korean Air is struggling with a losing streak, starting with a shutout loss in the KB Insurance match on the 24th of last month. On the 7th, they lost 2-3 to Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance (27 points, 7th place), the lowest in the league, and on the 10th they lost 3-1 against Hyundai Capital (52 points), which is second in the league. It’s like being a ‘neighborhood book’ without getting any victory points. Hyundai Capital is expected to continue its upward trend by winning its first victory in five matches against Korean Air this season. The gap between the two teams was narrowed to 4 points. 온라인카지노
Attention is drawn to the condition management of the Korean Air team. This is because players in their 30s such as Han (38), Kwak Seung-seok (35), Kim Gyu-min (33), Cho Jae-young (32), and Lincoln Williams (registered name Lincoln 30) are the main players, and the condition of the team is not looking good.
While they have the advantage of skillfully solving the game, there is also the disadvantage of poor performance due to poor physical strength. In the match against Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Kwak Seung-seok, who suffered a calf injury, and Lincoln, who showed symptoms of enteritis, were left out, and they tasted the bitter taste of defeat. If you look at Korean Air’s explanation, “It’s not a major injury, it’s a management level,” it means that you can’t help but pay attention to the physical burden of key players in their 30s.
In addition, the issue of the coach’s appointment of players is also on the cutting board. Korean Air is currently regarded as the most solid team in the league. However, fans are also expressing their dissatisfaction with coach Tommy Tilikhainen’s conservative selection of players. Some point out that conservative mercenary tactics are the cause of the team’s poor physical condition.
Even last season, Korean Air was evaluated as a ‘team that wins no matter who enters the court’ because of its solid squad. Coach Tillikainen also led the team’s upward trend by appointing several players. But this season has been different. It seems that the wide range of mercenary skills has changed to a pattern of ‘appointing only those who use it’. An official in the volleyball world said, “The timing of Korean Air’s player replacement is also pointed out by fans as a frustrating performance. Player management has become more important than anything else to escape losing streaks.”