You can’t tell from the photos that it rained all evening, or that all but the most hardy spectators were trying to shelter from the wind and rain under the roof on the west side of the stadium.
This was a top-of-the-table clash between the Steelers, top of the league, and United, third. United brought more of a sense of purpose and urgency to the contest, with the Steelers appearing happy to settle for a draw from the outset. Both sides had chances, both sides hit the bar, but it was Jeju who looked more likely to break the deadlock.
Despite the dampness, the Jeju crowd got behind their team when things got exciting on the pitch. Late in the second half, a Steelers player was shown a red card after bringing down a player just outside the penalty area (below). The resulting free kick came to nothing, but the 30 or so Steelers supporters went quiet until the danger was over.
This is a long, long way from the Premiership: the crowds are tiny, the ticket prices very low, and I don’t know how the economics work. It’s good to watch, all the same, although it would be better if it wasn’t raining quite so relentlessly.
Notes from a Korean island 