Climala scored twice in the pouring rain and FC Seoul still could not celebrate. Their 2-2 draw with Gimcheon Sangmu at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Oct. 18 cut the magic number from 4 to 3. The champagne now waits for the Gangwon game on the 24th.
Ahead twice, penalised twice
Seoul went ahead in the 22nd minute when Climala finished a cut-back from Jung Seung-won.
But Gimcheon's Lee Sang-heon scored from a penalty late in the first half to make it 1-1.
Climala draws level at the top of the scoring chart
In the 6th minute of the second half Moon Seon-min's low cross set up Climala to make it 2-1. His 16th league goal ties him with Ulsan's Yago for the lead.
He tried a turning shot for a hat-trick moments later, but it went just wide.
Gimcheon's punch was a penalty again
In the 21st minute of the second half Seoul's defence conceded a second penalty while stopping a counter-attack. Kim In-gyun took it and the game ended 2-2.
Gimcheon moved to 34 points, two clear of 11th-placed Bucheon (32).
66 points, three still needed
Seoul sit on 66 points, well clear of second-placed Ulsan (50). A title would be their first since 2016 and the seventh overall.
Yonhap News TV had already flagged both the "early coronation" and the "Gimcheon jinx" before the match.
Pre-match Yonhap News TV report "Seoul on the verge of an early coronation… will they break the Gimcheon jinx?" (not match footage) YouTube · 연합뉴스TV (YonhapnewsTV) ↗
The Gangwon game on the 24th
If Seoul beat Gangwon at home on the 24th, they reach 69 points, a total that clinches the title even if they lose their remaining five games and Ulsan win all of theirs.
A draw or a loss pushes the clincher to the following round.
