FA Cup Preview: Ansan Greeners vs Asan Mugunghwa

Ansan Greeners welcome high-flying Asan Mugunghwa to the Wa Stadium in an all K2 FA Cup fourth round clash on Wednesday evening. Both teams will be up for this, as there is the mouth-watering prospect of hosting the K League 1 leaders at home in the next round, provided that Jeonbuk come through their away assignment against Busan Transportation. K League United's latest recruit James Walsh previews this all K2 FA Cup clash.
(image via K League)

Last Time Out

Ansan Greeners lost at home to Busan IPark on Sunday by a single goal which came courtesy of a well-placed volley from IPark’s Brazilian attacking midfielder, Rômulo, midway through the second half. The Greeners latest defeat sees them remain in sixth place in K2.

Asan Mugunghwa kept up their superb unbeaten run with a hard-fought one-nil victory away at Suwon FC. Mugunghwa’s Kim Min-kyun struck a late winner to keep his side on Seongnam’s coattails at the top of the K2 summit.

Previous Meetings

Asan have a one hundred percent record against Ansan this season. Mugunghwa took all three points home with them when they beat the Greeners two-nil away from home earlier this month, thanks to Kim Min-kyun’s header and and Lee Myung-joo’s late strike.

Asan also condemned Ansan to an opening day defeat at the start of the K2 season. Mugunghwa striker, Ko Moo-yeol’s solitary strike proved to be enough on the day.

Team News

Ansan Greeners’s manager, Lee Heung- sil, may be tempted to bring Uruguayan centre-forward, Raul Tarragona, back into the starting eleven given the home side’s recent barren spell. The striker started the weekend’s home loss to IPark on the substitutes’ bench, with Liberian international forward, Seku Conneh, deputising for him.

The Adversary

Asan are having a fine season, and it is hard to bet against them returning to the K League 1 next season. Mugunghwa are undefeated in eight games, and sit one point adrift of K2 leaders, Seongnam. The visitors ran out seven-nil winners against Yeoju Sejong in the previous round.

Who To Watch

Ansan Greeners will be hoping that their new striker, Fidel, can get them firing again. The Brazilian forward has joined on loan from K3 side Busan FC last week. As for Asan, their attacking duo of Kim Min-kyun and Ko Moo-yeol always pose a big threat to opposing defences.

Prediction

The hosts are in dire straits, having lost four consecutive matches without scoring, they will be hoping that this game will stop the rot. The visitors in stark contrast, are on a super run, and it is hard to see them failing to progress into the fifth round of this competition. I am going for a one nil away win for Asan Mugunghwa.

Ansan Greeners 0-1 Asan Mugunghwa