Things are tight at the top in K League 2 heading into the upcoming round of matches with a host of interesting matchups on the slate. Saturday sees Seoul E-Land travel to FC Anyang and Chungnam Asan at home to Daejeon Hana Citizen, while league leaders Jeonnam Dragons have a chance to increase their lead at the top when they face Bucheon FC 1995 on Sunday. Ansan Greeners host Busan IPark at the Wa Stadium and Gyeongnam FC are at home to Gimcheon Sangmu.
Match of the Round
Chungnam Asan (9th) vs Daejeon Hana Citizen (3rd) - Saturday 12th June 18:30 KST
It's the second Chungcheong Derby of the season between these two traditional rivals as Daejeon make the journey to Yi Sun Shin Stadium looking to take all three points to keep themselves in the hunt for automatic promotion. Asan will be looking to rebound following another loss last week to Bucheon FC 1995 and create a bit of distance from the bottom of the table in the process. The first meeting between the teams in 2021 finished as a score draw with Kim In-gyun and Lee Hyeon-sik getting the goals for Asan and Daejeon respectively.
Matheus Alves is still a doubt to return from the injury he picked up in the FA Cup tie against Pohang Steelers meaning that Yoo Jun-su may be the lone striker up top as has been the case lately. It has been a difficult season for the Owls as they had to quarantine after a team official tested positive for COVID-19 and it threw them out of their rhythm. Matches between these two sides have traditionally been very close and all indicators point to a similar outcome this time around.
Daejeon are the top-scoring team in the division at the moment but they have also conceded nineteen goals to this point, giving them the third-worst defensive record in K League 2. Only Busan IPark (21) and Bucheon FC 1995 (22) have allowed more goals. Park In-hyeok leads the team with five goals and will be one to watch up front for the Purples. They will be shorthanded, however, as Lee Ji-sol is with the U-23 Korean national team for friendlies against Ghana and Ikromjon Alibaev is with the Uzbek national team for Asian World Cup qualifying.
Team of the Round
FC Anyang
The Violets are still very much in the thick of the title race and regrouped nicely last time out with a 2-1 win over Daejeon Hana Citizen after coughing up a two-goal lead the previous week and having to settle for a draw against Asan. Jonathan Moya struck from the spot and Kim Kyung-jung scored the winner just minutes after the hour mark to secure all three points. A win against Seoul E-Land could be crucial with them entering perhaps the most difficult part of their schedule as they will be up against several clubs looking to either make a push for the playoffs or win outright promotion. A pair of matches each against Busan IPark and Jeonnam Dragons highlight the summer portion on their fixture list.
FC Anyang have had several good pieces for years but it seems like everything has finally started to come together for them in 2021. The arrivals of Moya, Shim Dong-woon, and Mo Jae-hyun have added another dimension to their attack. They did in fact finish third just two seasons ago but missed out on moving up to the first division by virtue of their playoff loss to Busan IPark, who were later promoted. With Jeonnam facing a noticeably easier fixture, the pressure will be on for them to get a result to stay on pace.
Player of the Round
Hernandes - Gyeongnam FC
With six goals to his credit now, Hernandes has proven to be an excellent signing for the Reds this year. He has benefitted greatly from being in a more attacking system and the return has been tremendous. He has rarely played a full match this season, which speaks to how effective he has been when he has been on the pitch. He scored Gyeongnam's only goal in their 1-1 draw with Ansan Greeners in Round 14 and scored the equalizer in the derby with Busan last week after coming from the bench.
Next in his sights is Gimcheon Sangmu. Both sides are level on points in the table, so it will not be an easy match but the 21 year old has a bit of momentum on his side, so he will want to stay among the goals.
K League 2 Table
Round 16 Fixtures
Saturday 12th June
#ANYvSEFC: FC Anyang (2nd) vs Seoul E-Land (8th) - 16:00
#CAFCvDHFC: Chungnam Asan (9th) vs Daejeon Hana Citizen (3rd) - 18:30
Sunday 13th June
#JDFCvBUC: Jeonnam Dragons (1st) vs Bucheon FC 1995 (10th) - 13:00
#ANSvBUS: Ansan Greeners (7th) vs Busan IPark (6th) - 16:00
#GYEvGIM: Gyeongnam FC (4th) vs Gimcheon Sangmu (5th) - 18:30
Where to Watch
K League's Marquee Matches can be viewed live on television in countries with overseas broadcasting rights. More details can be found
here.
Alternatively, subject to local broadcasting restrictions, fans can view matches for FREE on
K League TV.
Branko Belan
K League United Columnist
