Preview: Ansan Greeners vs FC Anyang

Bottom-of-the-table Ansan Greeners entertain 'Line 4 Derby' rivals FC Anyang at the Wa~ Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Green Wolves are desperate for a first league win of 2019, while the Violets are looking to bounce back after consecutive league defeats to Bucheon FC 1995 and Jeonnam Dragons.

Last Time Out

Hwaseong FC 3-2 Ansan Greeners (FA Cup 3rd Round)

On Wednesday night, Ansan crashed out of the FA Cup thanks to an away defeat to K3 side Hwaseong FC, despite taking the lead through Lee In-jae on 36 minutes. The score was level just six minutes later thanks to Hwaseong's Yoo Byeong-soo to send the two sides in at the break on level terms. 

Just shy of the hour mark Kwak Sung-wook, on as a substitute, restored the Greeners' advantage with what appeared to be the winning goal. However, an own goal from Brazilian striker Gustavo Vintecinco with 82 on the clock restored parity. Two minutes later Lee Jun-yong fired in a Hwaseong eequaliser.

In the league Lim Wan-seop’s men suffered a second loss of the season at the Suwon Sports Complex. Shortly after Kim Hyeon-soo had rattled Park Hyeong-soon’s crossbar in the early minutes, Kim Dae-eui’s side took the lead through Jang Jun-yeong’s improvised backheeled finish from Estonian international, Henri Anier’s flick-on following a corner. 

Substitute, Lee Yong doubled the hosts’ advantage just before the hour mark, sweeping Anier’s cross-cum-shot past the hapless Lee Hee-seong. The visitors pulled a goal back ten minutes from time courtesy of Jang Hyeok-jin’s diving header from Park Jun-hee’s ball, but could not find a leveller, as Suwon FC held on for their first three points of their Challenge campaign. 

FC Anyang 5-1 Icheon Citizen (FA Cup 3rd Round)

FC Anyang put Icheon Citizen to the sword on Wednesday night, dispatching of the K3 side with ease in a 5-1 victory. An own goal from Kim Jung-hoon got the Violets on their way before Mykola Kovtalyuk scored two goals in as many minutes just shy of the hour mark. Kim Jung-hoon pulled one back for Icheon before Kim Sang-won and Palacios put the tie out of sight with strikes on 87 and 89 minutes.

Anyang's last league outing ended in a 1-0 away defeat to Jeonnam Dragons, Choi Jae-hyun with the game's only goal on the stroke of half time.

Previous Meetings

The Greeners came up trumps in the first ‘Line 4 derby’ of last season, which took place at the Wa~ in mid-March of 2018. Now FK Vojvodina striker, Seku Conneh’s second-half penalty gave the home team a 2-1 win, following Anyang’s Jeong Hee-woong’s equaliser that had earlier cancelled out Ansan midfielder, Hong Dong-hyun’s exquisite volleyed opener.

Team News

Green Wolves gaffer, Lim Wan-seop will welcome back centre-forward, Gustavo Vintecinco for this fixture. The Brazilian has completed his two-game suspension following the red card he received in the opening day reversal at home to Daejeon Citizen. Former SC Brühl player, Felipe Dorta is in line for his first league start for the club. The Austrian winger is set to become the second European to play for the Greeners, following in the footsteps of Montenegrin attacker, Luka Rotković.

The Violets will be without their new centre-back acquisition, Northern Irish-born Australian defender, Dylan Fox. The 24-year-old has joined Kim Hyeong-yeol’s boys from A-League outfit Wellington Phoenix, but is currently sidelined after damaging the syndesmosis ligaments in his ankle in a 1-0 defeat to Sydney FC at the end of February.

The Adversary

Anyang yet again failed to score in their last outing in K League 2. With two back-to-back losses, the Violets are looking more like the team which caused concern in preseason. However, their latest foreign recruits,  Dylan Fox and Mykola Kovtalyuk, could bring an upturn in fortunes. 

While Anyang did show a more well-rounded display against Jeonnam, they still fell to the Dragons by a single goal to nil after a momentary defensive lapse near half-time. Should Green Wolves' manager Lim Wan-seop had been watching, the former Goyang KB midfielder would have noticed the aerial weaknesses that the Violets have been plagued by. In a game that was very even, the Gyeonggi Province club can consider themselves unlucky to have come away with nothing to show for their performance.

The last time the sides met, Anyang ran out 2-0 victors on the road, with goals from Wesley Alex and Kim Gyeong-joon. When these foes clash, we often see more than two goals, which should bode well despite the two sides struggling in front of goal of late.

Given the Greeners' horrible start, that must have knocked the team's confidence and so Kim Hyeong-yeol’s players will be looking to take full advantage.

By Paul Bettridge

Who To Watch

Vintecinco (L) celebrates scoring against Daejeon Citizen, K League 2 Round 1

Gustavo Vintecinco impressed on his first team debut in the Daejeon encounter despite his dismissal. The 6’3” forward exhibited razor sharp instincts to open his Ansan account, reacting quickest to Park Ju-won’s fumble to tap home. The ex-Bragantino man later showcased great target man skills in setting up Park Jin-seop’s diving header, which was harshly ruled out following a VAR consultation. Lim Wan-seop will certainly be hoping that Vintecinco can add some much needed firepower to the Green Wolves’ offensive ranks, the Greeners only managed a meagre thirty two goals in K League 2 last term.

Prediction

The home side need a result in this one to kick-start their ailing season and will be relieved to have Vintecinco back in their starting line-up for a league game once again. Visiting manager, Kim Hyeong-yeol’s search for consistency could well start here, but with local pride at stake, the hosts will be keen not to give their adversaries an inch throughout.

Predicted Score: Ansan Greeners 1-1 FC Anyang

K League 2 Round 4 Preview: here