Another upcoming round of matches sees the latest chapter of the Nakdong River Derby ready to be written when Gyeongnam FC host Busan IPark on Saturday evening, while Chungnam Asan will have to prove they mean business in their hunt for a playoff spot when they meet Jeonnam Dragons on Sunday night. Jonathan Moya has scored four goals in his past three matches and will look to add to his tally when FC Anyang take on Gimpo FC on Monday night.

It's been a very different season for both clubs as the latest edition of the Nakdong River derby approaches on the horizon, with Gyeongnam FC challenging for the playoffs, while Busan IPark are floundering at the bottom of the division a little over halfway into the campaign. Gyeongnam did, however, miss out on an opportunity to close the gap on Chungnam Asan in fifth after having to settle for a 1-1 draw against Jeonnam Dragons in midweek, conceding in the 85th minute to Park In-hyeok after Ko Kyung-min had given them the lead inside the first ten minutes of the match. Knowing they will be facing Asan next weekend, a win would put them in the right frame of mind to move into playoff position in the near future if all goes according to plan.

Busan IPark were outclassed by Gimpo FC by a final count of 3-0 in their previous match and it seems even the arrival of Bruno Lamas from Daegu FC did little to change their fortunes. Of course, the Brazilian will need time to mesh with his new teammates and the hope is that he will be able to provide the necessary spark to help turn around what has been a very disappointing campaign thus far. The recent departure of An Byong-jun to Suwon Samsung Bluewings also means they have questions to answer with regards to who will pick up the scoring load now that he is gone. Lee Sang-heon has done well considering the team's struggles with five goals and two assists this year but it doesn't answer the question of who will fill the number nine role as a lead striker. With matches coming thick and fast, they may not have enough time to figure things out before a near-bottom finish is realized.

The derby has already been played twice this year, with Gyeongnam taking four out of a possible six points. The last meeting between the two did end in a 1-1 draw on June 19th.

Chungnam Asan's form has been up and down of late, with just two wins in their past seven matches, but came back for a draw against FC Anyang on Wednesday night. Now facing a Jeonnam Dragons side who are winless in their past nine league matches, it is time for Park Dong-hyuk's men to state their true intentions and show whether they have what it takes to maintain their challenge to be among the top five come the end of the season.

Yoo Kang-hyun has been a constant, currently sitting second in the scorer's table after netting his tenth of the season against the Violets. Matches between these two sides have had a tendency to be very close-knit affairs - the last time they met, it finished 1-0 in favor of Asan back at the end of May, with Yoo scoring the only goal of the match after just a quarter of an hour gone. 

This is a critical match for Asan, as they face Gyeongnam FC, Bucheon FC 1995, and Gwangju FC in their following three matches, thus, three points are a must this weekend if they want to stay in the playoff conversation.

The Costa Rican has been on a good bit of form lately, with four goals in his past three matches. He also assisted the lone goal scored by Kim Kyung-jung against Chungnam Asan in midweek. Prior to his current streak, he had been held off the scoresheet in five consecutive matches, and if Anyang are to keep up their chances of hosting a playoff match later in the season, he will most definitely need to be a key element for that to happen.

Gimpo FC is one of just four clubs in the second division that Moya has not yet scored against since arriving in the league. He missed the first match against them back in early April, a 3-2 win, as he was not named in the squad. He did play in the second match in May, a 1-0 win, when he was in the starting eleven and played all but two minutes of the regular ninety but did not register on the scoresheet. He has a chance to add them to his list when the sides meet on Monday night.

Bucheon FC 1995 will look to bounce back against Ansan Greeners following their loss to Gwangju FC, while the league leaders are away to Seoul E-Land with an eye on going three matches unbeaten. Bucheon should approach the match against the Green Wolves with an air of caution but with a hint of revenge in mind as they would like to erase the memory of the 3-0 loss they suffered the last time the teams met. 

The Yellows, meanwhile, have a lot of breathing room but still have no reason for complacency. While they have never lost to the Leopards, including two wins already this season, focus will be key for them if they want to maintain their dominant advantage over the long run. 

#NakdongRiverDerby: Gyeongnam FC (6th) vs Busan IPark (10th) - 18:00

#ANSvBUC: Ansan Greeners (11th) vs Bucheon FC 1995 (4th) - 18:00

#CAFCvJDFC: Chungnam Asan (5th) vs Jeonnam Dragons (9th) - 19:30

#SEFCvGWA: Seoul E-Land (8th) vs Gwangju FC (1st) - 19:00

#GFCvANY: Gimpo FC (7th) vs FC Anyang (3rd) - 19:30

K League United Senior Columnist