2024 Season Review: Seoul E-Land’s Remarkable Rise in Their 10th Anniversary Year

The dust has now settled on the 2024 K League season, and it was a historic year for Seoul E-Land FC. The Leopards went into their 10th season as a K League team this year, and they wanted to make it a memorable one. We once again saw a new manager at the helm and an abundance of new, exciting players make their way to Mokdong, and fans once again began to dream.

In a season which saw Seoul climb to their highest place in history, ending the regular season in 3rd place, the capital side narrowly missed out on promotion to the promised lands of the K League 1 in the playoff finals. Let’s join Michael Redmond today on the highs and not-so-lows of what was a truly inspiring season from Seoul E-Land this year.

A Fresh Start with Kim Do-kyun

Seoul E-Land had a season to forget in 2023 with manager Park Choon-kyun, finishing 11th out of 13, picking up only 35 points in 36 games. Something needed to change in the capital, and that change was Kim Do-kyun.

A manager famously known for his promotion of Suwon FC into the K League 1, where they have remained ever since their rise in 2020. Kim Do-kyun had a history of getting the best out of teams, especially in a playoff scenario.

Seoul E-Land's new boss Kim Do-kyun gave the fans a memorable season.

Kim Do-kyun came into a side that finished with a -18 goal difference in the league last year, scoring only 36 goals and conceding 56. Seoul needed a change in their style of play, and Kim Do-kyun needed a new team to achieve this. With his mentality of attacking football, the boss needed a new set of players who would be able to provide this style of play to the capital club.

Osmar: The Signing that Shook the Capital

The biggest transfer news that came out of Seoul this year was the move for Osmar from FC Seoul to Seoul E-Land. Many believed that the move was a little too late for the Spanish defender; however, he was quick to prove doubters wrong, scoring within five minutes of the opening game of the season against Busan IPark. Osmar finished the season with eight goals, which is a personal best.

Osmar gave strength and stability at the back for Seoul E-Land in what is still a young squad. His added experience and leadership helped weather the storm for Seoul in some tricky games.  Osmar was the perfect fit for Seoul E-Land in having that balance of excellent guidence for the young players as well as getting involved when needed to help the team.

Osmar recorded his best K League goal tally with Seoul E-Land in 2024.

Some other notable signings were Ikoba and Peter, who came in but only spent half a season with the Leopards. The man who made all the headlines for Seoul this year, however, was Bruno Silva. A striker who was scoring for fun this season for Seoul. Bruno really left his mark on the team and was the firepower Seoul needed to move forward in the league. Bruno scored 12 goals this season, including the magical goal against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Reaching New Heights in K League History

It was a record-breaking year for Seoul E-Land, who recorded their highest-ever finish in K League history. They finished third with 58 points, only two points behind second-place Chungnam Asan and five points behind champions FC Anyang.

Out of the 36 games, the Leopards recorded 17 wins, 7 draws, and 12 losses. They scored 62 goals, conceded 45, and ended with a +17 goal difference. Seoul also ended the season with the highest goals scored in the league and the highest goal difference. 

This is a sheer contrast from the Seoul E-Land of old that the fans were once use of seeing.

A Season of Unforgettable Moments

In a season, which saw far more highs than lows for Seoul, there were more than a few games where Seoul created memories for the Leoul Park faithful. Seoul started the year with a 3-0 victory over Busan IPark, which was then followed by a 2-1 victory over Suwon Samsung Bluewings. A team many feared in the league this year, Seoul went three wins out of three against the former K League 1 side.

Bruno Silva was the man supplying a lot of the goals this year for Seoul E-Land.

Other memorable games include beating second-placed Chungnam Asan 5-0 at Mokdong, a brace from Osmar in injury time against Chungbuk Cheongju to win the game 2-1, and going undefeated against Busan. Seoul showed this year that they meant business and feared no team in the league.

Seoul scored more than two goals in 11 games this year—almost a third of the season.

On the other side of the coin, there were a few games memorable for the wrong reasons. After Seoul’s first victory against Suwon, they went six games without a win, seeing them plummet down the table. They also lost late against Jeonnam Dragons early in the season, before being humbled by them 4-0 on the last day of the regular season.

Yes, there were some bloopers for Seoul along the way this year, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Playoff Dreams in Mokdong

With Seoul finishing third, they had to sit and eagerly wait to see who they would face in the playoff semifinal. Would it be Busan IPark or Jeonnam Dragons? A 0-0 draw saw Jeonnam progress to the playoffs due to finishing higher than Busan in the league.

On a cold Sunday afternoon in Mokdong, Seoul welcomed an in-form Jeonnam Dragons—a team that had beaten the Leopards 4-0 the week prior. All Seoul needed was a draw to set a date against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the playoff finals.

Seoul E-Land came from 2-0 down to draw against Jeonnam Dragons.

Jeonnam came out strong in the first half, which carried into the second, scoring only four minutes after the restart. Seoul tried to fight back, but Yoon Jae-seok doubled Jeonnam’s lead in the 76th minute. However, Seoul had other ideas than to give up. Kim Sin-jin scored two minutes after the restart to give Seoul hope. Then Baek Ji-ung electrified the Seoul crowd and put them level only three minutes after that.

The crowd went into a frenzy in the 85th minute as Kim Sin-jin managed to put the Leopards ahead, only for the goal to be chalked off for offside. That didn’t matter, though, as Seoul held onto the draw. The draw, combined with their higher league standing, meant they were to face Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors for a chance at K League 1 football.

The Final Showdow: Seoul E-Land Vs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors

The first of two legs was at Mokdong Leoul Park, where Seoul welcomed one of the best teams in Asia. In a game most thought Seoul had no chance in, they held their own against a dominant Jeonbuk side. Jeonbuk struck first in the 38th minute when Tiago scored.

Seoul wouldn’t lie down, though, and after a few halftime substitutions, a new Seoul E-Land side emerged. Osmar, Seoul’s leader so many times this season, equalized for the Leopards only four minutes after the restart with a bullet header.

Seoul had Jeonbuk on the ropes for much of the match, but Jeonbuk regained composure and scored in the 84th minute. Despite losing 2-1, there was still hope for Seoul going into the second leg.

Seoul E-Land equalize against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the 1st leg of the playoffs.

Seoul E-Land made the trip to the Jeonju World Cup Stadium on December 8th to face Jeonbuk once again. Seoul needed a miracle, and a miracle came when Bruno Silva scored a rocket header in the 45+2 minute of the first half.

Seoul fans went into halftime walking on air, believing their side could do it. However, it wasn’t to be. Tiago leveled the scores in the 50th minute, and Moon Seong-min sealed it in the 8th minute of stoppage time, making the aggregate score 4-2.

Even though Jeonbuk won, nothing could take the moment away from Seoul E-Land. Fans cheered and chanted long after Jeonbuk’s supporters had left the stadium.

Pride, Progress and Looking Ahead

It wasn’t to be for Seoul E-Land this year. They got so close to the summit, only one step away. Seoul fans may have shed tears at the end of the two legs, but they were tears of pride.

This side turned heads and broke records. Seoul have nothing to be ashamed of and finally gave their fans what they had wanted: pride in their team.

If Seoul can keep and even improve their squad in 2024, maybe—just maybe—they can go one step further in 2025.

For me, it was easily a grade-A performance from Seoul E-Land FC.

Seoul E-Land fans before their final game of the season against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Image Via Seoul E-Land.