Review: Bucheon 1-0 Busan IPark

After two wins to open the season, Busan dropped points for the second week in a row following last week's 1-1 draw with Gyeongnam. A wonderful (in a purely objective manner of speaking) curling strike from Kim Shin saw all three points remain in Gyeonggi-do. A quick and dirty review of Busan's 0-1 loss to Bucheon. (photo credit: K League via Naver)

Starting XI
Manager Cho Jin-ho made several changes to the starting XI, opting for a (on paper at least) very attack-minded side. Youth product Lee Dong-jun made his first team/K League debut, Lukian, Ko Kyung-min, and Jung Seok-hwa also made their first starts of the season. Gu Hyun-joon and Park Jun-tae also returned to the starting XI.

Screenshot via Busan IPark Facebook page

Match Review
Busan huffed and puffed and even managed to carve out a few half chances, but the goal never came. Lukian blew a couple decent chances to score against his former club while Romulo and Lim Sang-hyub also had some not-too-far-off efforts. Kim Shin scored a wonderful curling strike, and Bucheon blew a few excellent chances to extend their lead in the second half.

Player Ratings
Kim Hyung-geun 6.5 - Nothing he could do to stop Kim Shin's goal, and did well to deny Bucheon a second goal on a few occasions.

Kim Yoon-ho (43' off) 5.0 - Hauled off early, didn't make an impression.

Jung Ho-jung 5.5 - Gifted Bucheon a chance, but was saved by Kim Hyung-geun's quick dash off his line.

Danny Morais 6.0 - Still our best defender, but was troubled at times by Kim Shin's pace. Busan fans (or at least me) probably missed Nilson Junior at the other end.

Gu Hyun-joon 5.5 - Not a lot bad, not a lot good.

Jung Suk-hwa 6.0 - First game of the season, but was ineffective as a three-man central midfielder/right wingback.

Romulo 6.5 - Remains Busan's main source of creativity, but was played much deeper where his ability to play defense-splitting passes was slightly nullified.

Ko Kyung-min (45' off) 5.0 - Overrun in midfield, clearly not his best position.

Lee Dong-jun 6.5 - Lively on the right flank. Worked hard in all phases, showed confidence on the ball (more than many of his seonbaes on the pitch), and beat his man on several occasions. Still raw looking though (especially in final third).

Park Jun-tae (58' off) 5.5 - Gets in decent attacking positions, but wasteful in the end. Seems to always get dispossessed or end up going backwards.

Lukian 6.0 - Worked hard, but was outdueled by Nilson Junior. Lacks Lee Jeong-hyeop's mobility.

Lee Gyu-seong (43' on) 6.0 - Still not a great player, but added some solidity to the midfield.

Kim Hyun-seong (45' on) 5.5 - Fairly anonymous 45 minutes.

Lim Sang-hyub (58' on) 6.0 - Doesn't look on the same page as the rest of the team, but probably our most instinctive scorer.

Match Thoughts
The initial good feel vibes are starting to fade for me having watched the team a few times. The potential for promotion and a title are definitely there, but it will be a close race all year I think. Cho Jin-ho definitely needs to sort out his central midfield (and quick). Lee Jeong-hyeop seems clearly the better option over Lukian, while Lim Sang-hyup and Lee Dong-jun seem to offer more off the flanks than Jung Seok-hwa, Park Jun-tae, etc. Romulo is definitely our most creative player to break down defenses, but he needs to get the ball higher up the pitch. The 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 seem the best for this side with a 4-4-2/4-2-4 an option if we're searching for a goal or want to field multiple CFs. Cha Young-hwan's continued omission from the side is odd given how poor the midfield is at covering the space in front of the defense.

Next Match
Busan takes a break from the league to host Gimpo FC in KFA Cup action midweek (3-29, 5pm at the Asiad).