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Preview: Daejeon Citizen vs Seoul E-Land

Preview: Daejeon Citizen vs Seoul E-Land K League 2 Round 3
Daejeon Citizen head into Sunday's home opener with Seoul E-Land with maximum points from their first two games of the season for the first time since 2001. Sunday's visitors to Purple Arena make the trip south on the back of a 1-1 draw with Ansan Greeners. The Leopards looked as though they had done enough to earn themselves all three points but a late, late Choi Hojoo strike ensured that the spoils were shared. Columnists Paul Neat and Michael Redmond preview this K League 2 Round 3 clash. 


Overview

via Soccerway

Last Time Out

Jeonnam Dragons 1-3 Daejeon Citizen

After a somewhat fortuitous opening day victory away to Ansan Greeners, a game which saw not one but two Greeners goals chalked off, Daejeon Citizen scored three first half goals to claim all three points at Dragon Dungeon. Jeonnam, still reeling from their home defeat to Asan Mugunghwa a week previous, couldn't have got off to a worse a start. The Purple's fledgling centre back Lee Jeesol fired home his first ever professional goal, latching onto a parried Yun Yongho shot from point blank range with just 21 minutes on the clock.

It wasn't long before the Purples were two goals to the good either, this time through Park Inhyeok bagging his first goal of the campaign. The former Hoffenheim youngster sprung the Jeonnam offside trap following Shin Hakyoung's perfectly weighted through ball, took a touch with his left before rolling the ball home with his right - 31 minutes played at Daejeon were in dream land.

The game's third and Park's second came just seven minutes later, this time carrying the ball into the area from just inside the Jeonnam half. Shin Hakyoung was instrumental once again, winning the ball just on the half way line. Daejeon's number nine showed great skill with a couple of step-overs to guide the ball onto his left before tucking the ball into the far corner.

Jeonnam did pull one back, a scant consolation goal in the dying embers from Brazilian striker Bruno. The 28 year-old former Nacional SP striker got the better of Daejeon defender Lee Jeesol before rolling the ball under the oncoming Park Juwon between the sticks for Citizen.

Highlights: here

Seoul E-Land 1-1 Ansan Greeners

A late, late equaliser from Ansan Greeners' Choi Hojoo broke E-Land hearts, the 27 year-old found the back of the net in the sixth minute of stoppage time to cancel out Wesley Alex's first half strike. Keen to bounce back from the 2-0 home defeat to Gwangju on the opening day of the season, E-Land took the lead through Wesley Alex. The Brazilian, in his second spell with the Leopards, hooked in a Lee Kyungryul effort from little more than six yards out after the Greeners failed to clear the initial corner kick.

The writing was perhaps on the wall for Seoul E-Land as VAR awarded two penalty kicks to the visitors. The first came in the 66th minute when on-rushing goalkeeper Kim Youngkwang collided with Lee Injae 12 yards out. The referee showed Kim the yellow card before consulting VAR. The video referee ruled in Ansan's favour and so up stepped Jang Hyeokjin only for his spot kick to parried out to safety by 'Glory' Kim.

The second came just two minutes from time when Masuda was adjudged to have pulled Choi Hojoo's shirt in the box. This time Frank Fauver took on the penalty taking duties for the Green Wolves but the former Gyeongnam man blasted his spot kick wide. It wasn't looking to be Ansan's day but then in the 96th minute, Choi Hojoo found space in the box to steer the ball into the corner following Masuda's dink over the top.

Highlights: here

Previous Meetings

The Purples emerged as the victors on the last two occasions which these to sides met, the most recent being a 1-0 win in Daejeon in mid-September, Kang Yunsung with the decisive goal 21 minutes in. A month earlier in the capital Daejeon took all three points back to Noeun-dong with them thanks to goals from Shohruh Gadoev and Aurelian Chițu on 48 and 90 minutes respectively.

At Daejeon World Cup Stadium, Daejeon Citizen and Seoul E-Land have met on six occasions - Daejeon have four wins, E-Land two. Overall, from the 12 meetings, Citizen have five wins to E-Land's four and three draws.

Team News

Aurelian Chițu missed the trip to Jeonnam through injury and so could remained sidelined for Sunday's match. Kim Seungseop started out on the left with Park Inhyeok keeping his place through the middle. The addition of Kim Seungseop was the only change in the Purples' starting lineup against Jeonnam to that which faced Ansan. However, the Purples shifted from a 4-4-2 to Ko Jongsoo's preferred 4-1-2-3 formation which served the formerK League MVP well in his debut season as a manager.

Daejeon Citizen lineup vs Jeonnam Dragons, K League 2 Round 2


The Adversary

Seoul E-Land, after a disastrous start to the 2019 K League 2 season, needed to raise spirits and play a different style of football when they entertained Ansan Greeners at Seoul Olympic Stadium. Two teams who both lost their first games, were looking to finally get an early victory on the board. Seoul E-Land started the game well and were defensively more stable than the week prior, not panicking when on the ball, and taking small passes to eliminate any Ansan threat.

Seoul didn't take many shots on target, but they were asking questions of Ansan Greeners. After Ansan conceded a corner in the first half, something that they have had issues with in the past, a fumble around the box lead Wesley Alex to nicely turn the ball into the back of the net, 1-0 to the leopards.

Preview: Daejeon Citizen vs Seoul E-Land K League 2 Round 3 Kim Young-kwang Glory Kim
Kim Youngkwang saved an Ansan spot kick last time out

In the 89th minute of the game, Ansan were given their second penalty due to VAR yet once again Ansan failed to convert. Surely this was Seoul's day. However, in the sixth minute of added time, even though there were only three awarded, Ansan equalised and the points were shared. Disappointing for the Leopards, who were hanging on for their first win of the season. The search has to continue.

The Leopards struggled against Gwangju in round one in the first 10 minutes and conceded two goals. It took a good first half performance from their defence against Ansan to look sharp and to a fighting calibre. Kim Hyunsoo will set his Seoul E-land up in a 4-4-2 formation, with a deep back line a priority, especially being away from home.

Daejeon have already scored five goals this season, and will look to continue their dominance. If Seoul are tactically aware of this, then they can work from the back, with short, quick passes and move the ball forward, without too many long balls.
(Michael Redmond)

Seoul E-Land lineup vs Ansan Greeners, K League 2 Round 2


Who To Watch

Daejeon Citizen - Shin Hakyoung

Shin Hakyoung (R) was named in K League 2 Best 11 for Round 2
Shin Hakyoung signed for Daejeon Citizen from Gyeongnam FC in 2017 after two years with the Changwon-based outfit. After making 24 appearances in Citizen's ill-fated 2017 season, Shin was largely used as a rotation option last year. However, the 25 year-old's keen eye for a pass and energy in the middle of the parl has ensured him of a place in Ko Jongsoo's starting eleven for the first two games of the season.

Away to Ansan, Shin was instrumental in the build up to both Daejeon's goals - supplying the ball to Aurelian Chițu as the Purples hit the Greeners on the break for Yun Yongho's goal regained the lead. The Purples opened the scoring by Shin playing in Park Sooil to cross the ball for Chițu's fifth minute header.

Against Jeonnam, Shin has been credited with one assist officially after an eye-of-the-needle pass to Park Inhyeok for the number nine's first of two that afternoon. However, after winning the ball in midfield and inadvertently guiding it into the path of Park, Shin could stake a claim for two assists. The K League named both Shin Hakyoung and Park Inhyeok in the K League 2 Best 11 for Round 2.

Seoul E-Land - Wesley Alex

Wesley Alex (L) scored E-Land's first goal of the campaign versus Ansan in Round 2
Wesley Alex returned to Leo Park over the winter after spending the 2018 season with FC Anyang. The Brazilian enjoyed a fruitful spell with the Leopards in 2017, bagging seven goals from 14 appearances to finish out the season.

The 31 year-old's track record at K League 2 level is impressive having reached double figures in three separate seasons, netting 11 and 16 goals in 2013 and 2014 respectively with Goyang Zaicro, not to mention last season's 15-goal haul with Anyang. At four different clubs, Alex has 59 goals in 117 appearances in the second tier which gives the former Goyang and Gangwon forward a goal ratio of 1.98. Alternatively, a goal ratio of 1.7 from 100 starts.

Prediction

The win over Ansan Greeners in Round 1 was a touch fortuitous given how the hosts had two goals disallowed but the manner in which Daejeon dispatched of the Dragons last Sunday was anything but. Ko Jongsoo's side will be full of confidence heading into Sunday's home opener with Seoul E-Land. The Leopards though will be expected to bounce back after last Saturday's 96th minute sucker-punch at home to the Greeners. That said, home win.

Daejeon Citizen 2-0 Seoul E-Land

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