The Final Six to Glory – Seoul E-Land FC

As the international break has come upon us, it is time once again to slow down and take a look at what is happening in the run-in in K League 2. For Seoul E-Land FC, something that was once seen as a miracle has once again become normal practice, as they sit in the playoffs with six fixtures left on their calendar.

However, this year seems a little different. With 1st and 2nd being automatic this year, and the fact that Seoul E-Land sit in 3rd, something quite unique for the Leopards so far into the season, is it time that Seoul E-Land can look at themselves and finally start to dream of something big? For Seoul, they have reached the playoff finals only once, where they succumbed to Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in 2024.

One final push could see them skip the playoffs and dance in K League 1 with automatic promotion. Is it finally time for Seoul E-Land to make the jump? Can the Leopards finally achieve what was once only a dream for the fans in the stands? Michael Redmond takes a look at what is down the road for the Leopards.

A Team in Form

For Seoul, it has been a steady summer. Only one loss in the last twelve games has meant that Seoul hasn't needed to rely on other teams losing to stay in contention and sit in the playoffs. However, four of those games ended in draws, which was a loss of 8 points. If only they had got a win in one or two of those games, then this article would be a different story, and we could be talking about a potential league win.

Their one loss came in mid-August when they fell 1-0 to Suwon Samsung Bluewings, and for many, it may feel like winning the league might be out of the question now. Suwon sit five points ahead with one game more than Seoul to play. So, let's say they are eight points ahead with only six games left? It's a bit of a tall ask, and luck would have to be mightily on their side for Seoul to catch up to them.

However, Seoul are definitely performing better this year than last year. Seoul had to wait until the final game of the season last year to confirm a playoff spot, and even then, it was a 4th-place finish. Seoul have also performed strongly throughout the business end of the season over the years, and this is something they need to replicate once again if they are to have glory come November.

This is a team which were too young two years ago, just missed the mark last year. Could the boss, Kim Do-kyun, finally crack the code on the third time of asking?

Kim Do-kyun: The Man Behind the Leopards

On November 11th, 2026, Kim Do-kyun will officially become Seoul E-Land's longest-serving manager, and he has to go down as one of the most appreciated amongst the fans. Over the years, Seoul E-Land have had a one-season-and-done effect with managers, until Chung Jung-yong came into the team.

For Chung Jung-yong, although his first season was good, the second and third were far from desirable, with Seoul finishing 11th in 2021 and 7th in 2022. If you compare that with Kim Do-kyun, in his first season he guided Seoul to a playoff final. Last year, Seoul were once again in the playoffs before they fell to Seongnam, and this year they are more than on the way to another playoff or potential automatic promotion. The boss has worked a wonder on this team.

Not only that, but the fans have a deep appreciation for the boss. He respects the supporters and is finally giving Seoul E-Land an identity after all these years. He is also not afraid to hold his hands up and admit when he has got something wrong. In the past, Seoul managers have spoken about having a Plan B or Plan C, but those plans rarely came to fruition. Do-kyun, however, is often willing to acknowledge when something isn't right and needs to be addressed, and more often than not, he has been successful in making those changes.

Kim Do-kyun worked his way up through the youth development system at Ulsan Hyundai before eventually joining the first-team coaching staff. From there, he took his first senior managerial job at Suwon FC, where he had a formidable season in K League 2, winning promotion to K League 1 before keeping Suwon in the top flight during his time there. Now, I think the boss will want to do something similar with Seoul E-Land. He has already built something here that the fans can believe in, but I don't think he will be satisfied with just another playoff appearance. He will want to cement his name into the history of this club, and if he can finally take the Leopards into K League 1, then there is no doubt in my mind that he will have done exactly that.

The Run-In

With six games remaining, Seoul E-Land know exactly what is ahead of them. There are some difficult fixtures, some games they should be winning, and some games which could prove crucial to their hopes of automatic promotion or a playoff position.

Friday 9th October – Gimpo (Away)

Possibly the toughest of the final six. Gimpo sit in 7th and are also wanting to knock on the door of the playoffs. They are six points behind a playoff spot with one game in hand. They will be eyeing up Seoul E-Land and looking to turn Seoul's dream into a nightmare. That, and they will want revenge after falling 2-1 to Seoul back in May at Mokdong Stadium.

Sunday 18th October – Gimhae FC (Home)

There are no easy games in K League 2, and even throughout time, Seoul have actually performed better playing the teams at the top and struggled when fighting those at the bottom. They will need to be alert when they face bottom-of-the-league Gimhae FC. The team has only two wins this season and sit bottom on 13 points.

Seoul beat them 3-1 back in July. Maybe Gimhae will want to restore some pride in themselves before the season is out, or maybe they will roll over for Seoul. The Leopards will hope for the latter.

Saturday 31st October – Yongin FC (Away)

Not too bad of a season for Yongin in their first year in K League 2. They sit in 13th place with only five wins this year. However, this is the first team on the list which actually took points off Seoul when they played out a 2-2 draw back in May at Mokdong Stadium.

Seoul cannot slip up here and have to take all three points on the road. The on-paper result needs to come to life here, and Seoul cannot allow another draw. I say this because Yongin are the draw specialists, with 12 so far this season. Only Cheongju have more.

Saturday 7th November – Jeonnam Dragons (Home)

What has happened to Jeonnam Dragons this year?

For many a season, Seoul and Jeonnam were the ones battling each other to get into a playoff spot. Even prior to this, Jeonnam were the team that would regularly humiliate Seoul E-Land. But this year? They have only four wins this campaign and sit 16th, only ahead of Gimhae.

On paper, this is an easy win, but Jeonnam Dragons have a habit of upsetting Seoul E-Land when they need it most. Seoul came out 1-0 victors when the two faced off in May, and famously, a 2-2 draw in the playoff semi-final between the two in 2024 saw Seoul progress to the playoff final. Hopefully, Jeonnam do not rise to the occasion on this one.

Sunday 22nd November – Chungnam Asan (Home)

From one team that constantly upsets Seoul to another one. Chungnam Asan FC just know how to beat Seoul E-Land. Even in prior years, when they were Asan Mugunhwa, they just took all they could off Seoul E-Land.

Personally, this is the fixture which worries me most.

Seoul fell 3-0 to Chungnam back in May at the Yi Sun-sin Stadium. It was Seoul's heaviest defeat of the year. You would hope that, being the penultimate game of the season, and hopefully with Seoul in the same or even a better standing than they are now, they rise to the occasion.

Sunday 29th November – Gyeongnam (Away)

Again, a difficult end to the season for Seoul.

Historically, Gyeongnam have been right up there in the past, being promoted and even finishing 2nd in K League 1, with many thanks to Brazilian superstar Marcão. This year, they are still in playoff contention, sitting in 9th place. It sounds far, but they are only seven points off with a game in hand.

Gyeongnam are another one of those teams Seoul have struggled with in the past. Their game in early March saw Seoul run out winners. The Leopards would 100% take that once more.

What Does Seoul Need?

To catch Suwon, the maths is simple. Seoul need Suwon to slip up once, and they need to score five more goals than Suwon over the remaining fixtures. That could be enough to see the Leopards leapfrog them and secure automatic promotion.

But even if Seoul cannot catch Suwon, there is still another route to K League 1: the playoffs.

Technically, there are still seven teams below Seoul who can reach the playoffs. However, while teams such as Chungbuk Cheongju, Paju Frontier and Yongin FC are still mathematically in the race, the gap makes it incredibly difficult to see them making a serious push. Realistically, the teams Seoul need to be looking over their shoulder at are Gimpo, Chungnam Asan, Gyeongnam and Seongnam. All four have a game in hand, which Seoul E-Land do not have, so there is still a threat to the Leopards' playoff position. However, when you actually look at the fixtures, it becomes a lot more complicated.

Chungnam Asan and Gyeongnam both still have to play Seoul E-Land, and you can bet they will be playing out of their skin in those games. It isn't just Seoul who will have their own cup final in mind; these teams will see those games as a huge opportunity to drag themselves closer to the playoffs. Seoul will have to be ready for that.

Gimpo have their own difficult run-in too. They still have to face Suwon FC and Hwaseong, two games where points will be hard to come by. Seongnam, meanwhile, have a nightmare run coming up, with back-to-back games against the two Suwons before also facing Daegu. Points will be dropped there, and that could play straight into Seoul E-Land's hands.

Gyeongnam also have to face both Suwons back-to-back, meaning they too could drop valuable points before the season is over. Even Chungnam Asan have a fascinating final fixture, facing Busan IPark on the last day of the season. That could potentially turn into a who-gets-the-playoffs game.

There is also another interesting element to the teams chasing Seoul. Several of them still have to face the two Suwons, and depending on the results, those games could actually benefit Seoul either way. If Suwon FC or Suwon Samsung pick up wins, they will strengthen their own positions, potentially taking points away from the teams chasing Seoul. But if Seongnam or Gyeongnam can take points from the Suwons, suddenly the Leopards could start to dream a little bigger. Every result involving these teams could have an effect on Seoul's season.

So, while Seoul E-Land need to focus on themselves, they also have a little bit of help around them. The teams chasing the Leopards have some seriously difficult fixtures of their own, and with so many of them playing each other, points are going to be dropped somewhere.

It is also important to note Daegu, Hwaseong and Busan IPark. They will also want to overtake Seoul and claim 3rd place, because every position matters when it comes to the playoffs. Finishing 3rd would mean facing 6th at home, while 4th and 5th would have to face each other. With the higher-placed team progressing in the event of a draw, Seoul will want to hold on to 3rd and give themselves the best possible route through the playoffs.

The Gimcheon Situation

There is also another interesting twist to the promotion picture this year, and that comes from Gimcheon Sangmu. Regardless of where they finish, Gimcheon will be relegated to K League 2 at the end of the season, meaning that if they avoid finishing bottom of K League 1, the team that does finish bottom will face the losing team from the K League 2 promotion final in a promotion-relegation playoff.

Right now, that team would be Gwangju. They sit bottom of K League 1 on just 15 points, with eight games remaining and 24 points still available. Gimcheon are sitting in 10th on 33 points, 18 points clear of Gwangju, and need just seven more points to mathematically guarantee that they cannot finish bottom. Gwangju can still mathematically escape the bottom, but they would need a huge turnaround over the final eight games.

For Seoul E-Land, this could mean that even if they fall at the final hurdle in the promotion playoff, the dream may not be over. If Gimcheon avoid bottom spot, the Leopards could have one final chance to reach K League 1 by facing whoever finishes bottom of the top flight.

Six Games, One Dream

For Seoul E-Land, the road is straightforward. Win your six remaining games and you at least have a playoff semi-final at home. You have two games to glory. Better yet, if Suwon FC or, more dramatically, Suwon Samsung Bluewings slip up, then automatic promotion is on the cards.

Personally, I think Seoul will keep hold of their 3rd-place finish. I think the playoffs are more than likely secured now; it is just the highest finish possible that is needed now to give themselves that semi-final home advantage, where a draw will put them into that playoff final. That, and the final will then also be in Leoul Park if they can dare to dream.

Could you imagine it? Early December, in the bitter, temperate wind of Seoul, watching Seoul E-Land one game away from history and promotion into K League 1.

The team is really giving the fans hope of seeing a promoted Seoul team. They are building year on year and giving themselves a real shot at promotion. This team is not getting there by luck. Seoul E-Land will deserve it if they can reach K League 1, especially after their history and how dark the days were once before.