It didn't come as a surprise. Jeonbuk Motors led the K-league from early in the season and were the best team for most of it. Choi Kang-hee's men should have won the Asian title too but had to make do with the domestic title to add to the 2009 crown.
The inevitable came to pass on December 4 in the second leg of the Championship play-off final against Ulsan Horangi.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are South Korean champions for the second time in three years following their play-off triumph over Ulsan Hyundai.

Jeonbuk were huge favourites going into this year's final having finished top of the regular season standings whilst their opponents Ulsan had knocked out FC Seoul, Suwon Samsung Bluewings and Pohang Steelers en route to this year's showpiece.

To coin a well-known footballing phrase, it's squeaky bum time in two of Asia's biggest leagues.

In Japan the title will go down to a last day showdown with any one from Kashiwa Reysol, Nagoya Grampus Eight and Gamba Osaka all capable of winning the championship. Kashiwa currently hold the advantage of topping the table with 69 points from 33 games whilst Nagoya and Osaka trail the leaders by just one and two points respectively with one round of matches to be played next weekend.

It is true to say that in football, the strikers are the ones who get the goals and get the headlines. Goalkeepers can play fantastically well for a full 89 minutes out of a fantastic match but one mistake and all know what the internet and newspapers will focus on.
Lee Dong-guk is one of the biggest stars in the league.

With two-thirds of the K-League regular season completed the championship is reaching the business end in South Korea. Unlike most footballing top-flight divisions, the K-League determines its winners by a post-season play-off system in which the top six battle it out for the title. With 20 of the 30 regular season rounds played only league leaders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and second placed Pohang Steelers seem to be virtually assured of their play-off places.

Sometimes, the end justifies the means. If you can find the end of the nose.

Of all the rampant match-fixing taking place right now and it's reaching epidemic levels South Korea's K-League, despite its lack of exposure outside of Asia, seems to be the worst. A systemic failing on all levels, requiring a complete overhaul of the league.

It has been a topsy-turvy season in the K-League so far. Asian champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma have been kept off the bottom of the standings only thanks to the dreadful form of Gangwon FC. Suwon Bluewings find themselves in one of their annual slumps in form while champions FC Seoul have improved since earlier in the season but still can't quite break free of the middle level.

2011 All-Star Ballot

The 2011 All-Star ballot was released on Wednesday afternoon. For those on the ballot from the Union, hearty congratulations are in order for Danny Califf, Sebastien Le Toux, Justin Mapp, Faryd Mondragon, Danny Mwanga and Carlos Ruiz, all of whom made the cut.

"Made the cut?

Players come and go in the K-League, especially those from overseas. There is an incredibly high turnover of playing staff in South Korea, teams can virtually change their entire starting elevens from season to season.
Hiring players is not, of course, an exact science. Some succeed and some don't for a variety of reasons.

2010 was a year to remember for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma. The team from just south of Seoul not only won the Asian Champions League but went on to finish third place at the FIFA Club World Cup after meeting European champions Inter Milan.
It was even better for Sasa Ognenovski, a man looking forward to his third K-League season.