Preview: Daejeon Hana Citizen vs Chungnam Asan FC

Daejeon Hana Citizen will be looking to build on their dramatic opening day victory when the Purples play host to neighbours Chungnam Asan this Sunday. Chungnam began the campaign with a narrow defeat to Bucheon FC 1995 last week, conceding a last minute penalty, and so will be determined to get up and running in 2020. 

Overview

via Soccerway

Last Time Out

Suwon FC 1-2 Daejeon Hana Citizen

Daejeon Hana Citizen began the new season with a 2-1 comeback victory over Suwon FC last Saturday. Ahn Byong-jun gave the hosts a 17th minute lead via a deflected long-range free kick, but Brazilian winger Andre Luis restored parity 10 minutes before half time. Then, with the game approaching the dying embers, Park Yong-ji swept home an Lee Seul-chan ball across the 18-yard box to give Citizen the three points. The linesman flagged for offside but following a VAR review, the goal was awarded.

Match Report: here

Highlights



Chungnam Asan FC 1-0 Bucheon FC 1995 

Chungnam Asan took to the field for the first time as a citizen club last weekend but were unable to mark the occasion with a win. Under the stewardship of Park Dong-hyuk, who guided Asan to the K League 2 title in 2018, the newly founded club began the season with the visit of Bucheon. The Reds left it late with new recruit William Barbio firing in a 90th minute penalty after Chungnam skipper Park Se-jik was adjudged to have tripped the Brazilian in the box. After a VAR review, Barbio stepped up to tuck the ball into the bottom right-hand corner to seal the win.

Highlights

Previous Meetings

Whilst these two teams have begun the new season with new names and somewhat different from their previous selves, there are previous meetings between Daejeon and Asan. The most recent encounter was in mid-October last year at Yi Sun-sin Stadium where Daejeon picked up a 1-0 win, Antonio with the game's only goal on 53 minutes. Said win was the Purples' first in four meetings having lost the previous three. At Purple Arena last term Asan picked up two 1-0 wins, the first on May 1st thanks to Ko Mu-yeol's 9th minute effort, the second on 27th July - Ko Mu-yeol again proving to be the match-winner with a 55th-minute effort.

Overall, there have been 12 meetings between these two sides. Chungnam Asan have five wins to Daejeon's four and three draws. At Purple Arena, Daejeon have just one win over their Chungcheong Province neighbours having lost three times and drawn twice. The only win came in October 2018 with goals from Hwang In-beom from the spot on 80 minutes and Shohruh Gadoev, Kim Hyun for Asan.

Team News

Daejeon will be without Connor Chapman due to injury but otherwise have a clean bill of health. The impact of Jeong Hee-woong and Park Yong-ji in Suwon last weekend may have given manager Hwang Sun-hong food for thought ahead of Sunday's match.

Daejeon lineup vs Suwon FC, K League 2 Round 1

Chungnam Asan, meanwhile, will be without Swedish forward Philip Hellqvist due to injury. Meanwhile, Kim Chan is expected to get the nod in attack. The on-loan Pohang Steelers striker has scored just one professional goal in his fledgling career and that was for Daejeon. Whilst on loan at Purple Arena, Kim scored Daejeon's second in a 3-1 home win over Gwangju FC on the final day of the 2019 season.

Chungnam Asan starting lineup vs Bucheon FC 1995, K League 2 Round 1

[READ: What K League Means To Me | Connor Chapman]

The Adversary

Chungnam Asan FC made the transition from a police team, a squad of players completing their mandatory military service, to a citizen club over the winter. The club won't be targeting automatic promotion this season, but should the abundance of new players gel quickly then a tilt at the top four may not be beyond them.

That said, whilst passing accuracy proved to be good at 83%, during the 1-0 home defeat to Bucheon Asan had just 38% possession. The outcome of which was an xG of just 0.75 with seven attempts on goal and only four of which made the target. Daejeon, meanwhile, enjoyed over 60% possession against Suwon and so if Asan are to try and pick the Purples off on the counter, they are going to need to execute their counter-attack more successfully than they did against Bucheon as they managed just one shot from a total of six counters. Chungnam Asan were set up in a 4-4-2 formation with former Daejeon loanee, Kim Chan, up top along side Austrian forward Mujakic.

What To Watch

Daejeon's Wide Men

Both Daejeon goals from the 2-1 win over Suwon came from their wingers in some shape or form. Andre's equaliser was teed up by Park In-hyeok who started the match on the right wing. However, in the second half, and with manager Hwang Sun-hong not content with a point, he replaced both wingers with Jeong Hee-woong and Park Yong-ji coming on to make the Daejeon debuts. Jeong played the ball into full back Lee Seul-chan who squared it to Park to find the winner.

The spine of the team is set, particularly when Connor Chapman returns, but which flair players can flesh the team out will be key for the Purples. Andre was signed as a winger but was extremely effective in the number 10 role with a license to move freely. Citizen have depth throughout most of the squad, but Daejeon are particularly strong on the flanks. Coach Hwang has Kim Seung-seop, Park Yong-ji, Park In-hyeok, Jeong Hee-woong, and Yoon Seung-won to choose from and will certainly have something of a selection headache in the build up to the visit of Chungnam.

Prediction

Chungnam will be reeling from the opening day defeat, particularly the manner in which the match was lost - with a last minute penalty. Daejeon, though, picked up a massive win last weekend thanks to a last minute winner. Citizen will be extremely confident from the off and should make it two wins in two.