Preview: Daejeon Citizen Vs Bucheon 1995

Daejeon Citizen Vs Bucheon 1995

Hyundai Oilbank K League Challenge Round 20 Wednesday 29^th June 2016 19:30 KST

Daejeon celebrate the 3-1 win over Chungju. Credit: DCFC.co.kr

Citizen’s exit from the FA Cup on Wednesday to Incheon means that Choi Moon-Sik and his men can concentrate fully on their promotion challenge.

Daejeon will be disappointed in the manner in which they lost last week to 2015 FA Cup runners up Incheon United, but taking a Classic team the distance is commendable.

Coming back from the dead to force extra time is testament to the players’ will and determination, something that Coach Choi will looking to channel and utilise in the Purples’ bid to return to the Classic at the first time of asking.

Up next for Citizen is the home visit of Bucheon 1995, a team that with just two defeats all season are a side that has perhaps surpassed many people’s expectations this term.

Riding high in 2^nd place Bucheon haven’t lost since May and are on a four game winning run.

Thus, Wednesday’s game is a stern test for Citizen who have found it difficult to put together too many winning streaks of their own.

Although Choi Moon-Sik’s men are unbeaten in their last four league games, they have just one win to boast of; last week’s 3-1 displacement of struggling Chungju.

If Daejeon are serious about their promotion ambitions then a win against Bucheon would really show the rest of the league their credentials.

As of yet Daejeon have fallen short when coming up against any of the current top four, suffering defeat to all four sides.

A Daejeon win is perhaps unlikely but by no means impossible.

Previous Meetings

In the history of these two mid-90s founded clubs there has only been five previous encounters.

The most recent of those was when Daejeon made the trip to North West Gyeonggi-do in April in a game were Citizen were comfortably beaten despite taking the lead.

Kim Dong-Chan put the Purples ahead with little over five minutes played only for Han Hee-Hoon to level just shy of the half hour mark.

The score remained level at the interval but it was Bucheon who took the initiative and took the game to the Purples.

Brazilian forward Waguininho put the home side ahead on 50 minutes before his compatriot Lukian sealed the win on 66.

However, when Bucheon’s last made the journey to Daejeon, back in November 2014, it was the Daejeon faithful who were celebrating.

On that cold winter afternoon at the Hanbat Stadium it wasn’t just three points that the Daejeon faithful were celebrating, either.

Daejeon needed a win to seal the 2014 K League Challenge title but with Bucheon proving to be a tough nut to crack, it appeared as though the celebrations would have to wait for another week.

But, despite strong resistance in the first 45, the talismatic playmaker Jeong Seok-Min was able to unlock the visitors’ defence and duly popped up to score the only goal of the game on 52 minutes; the three points and indeed the title, then, were Daejeon’s.

During the 2014 promotion winning season Daejeon notched up 10 points from 12 over Bucheon, thanks to three wins and a draw.

This season’s 3-1 reverse was the first time Daejeon had lost to Bucheon 1995.

Team News

Kim Tae-Bong is Daejeon’s only long term absentee with the right back not considered to be back until mid-summer at the earliest.

Seo Dong-Hyun will be hoping to have done enough to earn a place in Choi’s first eleven having got Daejeon’s comeback up and running against Incheon last Wednesday.

But, with Brazilian striker Gustavo Sauerbeck netting his first goal in Daejeon colours during the 3-1 win over Chungju last weekend, Coach Choi has a welcome selection headache ahead of Wednesday’s game.