FC Anyang and Jeonnam Dragons, two teams that reached the playoffs in 2021, meet on opening day in what is expected to be a clash of two of the division's promotion contenders. Both will be keen to get off to a positive start and both have been busy in the transfer market. In fact, defensive midfielder Hwang Ki-wook made the switch from Jeonnam to Anyang over the winter and so could be set to make his Violets debut against his former employers. If the history books are anything to go by, this Saturday's clash is set to be a very tight affair. There is usually only a goal in it and the head-to-head record is very close with Anyang having recorded four wins to Jeonnam's three and four draws. For the Violets' faithful, Anyang's opening day record makes for decent reading with just two losses in nine matches with three wins and four draws. Jeonnam, meanwhile, have won seven opening day matches, drawn nine and have lost 11.
Team of the Round
Gimpo FC (vs. Gwangju FC)
All eyes will be on the new boys of K League, Gimpo FC, who begin their new era with the long trip south to Gwangju. New teams joining K League, generally start with a positive result in their maiden matches. In 2013, the first season of the second division, six teams made their K League debuts with two picking up wins, two drawing and two suffering defeats. In 2015 Seoul E-Land drew their first game and in 2017 Ansan Greeners won but Asan Mugunghwa lost. Gimpo FC head into K League as the champions of K3 and ended the campaign on a run of six unbeaten. However, this Saturday lunchtime they face a Gwangju FC side which has just come down from the top tier, still boasting of talented players such as Reiss, Um Won-sang and Eom Ji-sung to name but a few.
Player of the Round
Kim In-sung, Seoul E-Land (vs. Gyeongnam FC)
The number seven shirt and the captain's armband will make Seoul E-Land winger Kim In-sung feel ten-feet tall when he leads his team out this weekend. Seoul E-Land have only won once on opening day since the club's inception in 2015, the 3-0 victory over Busan IPark last year. But new skipper Kim In-sung, meanwhile, has enjoyed fruitful opening days over the last three seasons, registering three goals and one assist in wins for his former employers Ulsan Hyundai. The Leopards begin the new season away to fellow promotion hopefuls Gyeongnam FC, a club which has lost on opening day just twice in 16 years.
Elsewhere in K League 2 Round 1
Ansan Greeners start life under new manager Cho Min-gook with a home fixture with Busan IPark, a team that with 15 wins, nine draws, 15 losses, have an opening weekend win percentage of just over 38. The Green Wolves have won just two of their five season openers with one draw and two losses.
Then later in the day on Sunday, Bucheon FC 1995 are at home to Chungnam Asan. Bucheon have an excellent opening day record with seven wins and just two losses from nine matches and went from 2015 to 2020 with six straight wins. The Owls, who were founded in 2020, actually lost to Bucheon 1-0 for their season curtain-raiser that year and drew to Jeonnam last year meaning that manager Park Dong-hyuk is looking for a first opening day win in the Chungnam Asan era.
K League 2 Round 1 Fixtures
Saturday 19th February
Sunday 20th February
