Preview: Daejeon Citizen vs Suwon FC

Daejeon Citizen welcome Suwon FC to Purple Arena this Sunday for the afternoon's early K League 2 kick off. The Purples will be keen to bounce back from Wednesday's humiliating FA Cup exit to Dankook University and keep their unbeaten league form in tact. Suwon FC, meanwhile, make the trip to Daejeon having hit Chungju Citizen for six in their own FA Cup tie. Suwon have only won at Daejeon World Cup Stadium once before, a 2-0 victory in July 2018.

Overview

via Soccerway

Last Time Out

Daejeon Citizen 2-2 (3-4 pens) Dankook University (FA Cup 3rd Round)

Despite taking the lead early on, Daejeon Citizen crashed out of the Korean FA Cup in the third round after succumbing to Dankook University on penalties on Wednesday night. Young midfielder Kang Hanbit gave the Purples an eight minute lead only for goals from Lee Changhyun, 10 minutes after the restart, followed by an 82nd minute Kim Minseok strike, to turn the game completely on its head.

Shohruh Gadoev, on as a substitute, restored parity with an spot kick with two minutes to go to see the game go into extra time. After 30 goal-less minutes, the match was settled via a penalty shootout with the university side emerging as winners with four penalties to the Purples' three.

Suwon FC 6-0 Chungju Citizen (FA Cup 3rd Round)

It was raining goals at Castle Park as Kim Daeui's Suwon FC booked their place in the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 6-0 demolition of K3 side Chungju Citizen. The deadlock was broken just past the half hour mark through attacking midfielder Sebastián Velásquez, the Colombian netting his first for Suwon since arriving from Real Monarchs.

On 63 minutes, former Purple Jang Junyoung made it 2-0, the central defender finding the back of the net for the second time since a winter move from Gyeongju KHNP. Chae Seonil made it three on 77 before Chisom Egbuchunam, on as a half-time substitute, bagged a quickfire brace with goals on 79 and 85 minutes. Deep into injury time, North Korean international forward An Byungjun completed the rout with Suwon's sixth of the night.

Korean FA Cup 3rd Round Results: here

Previous Meetings

In 2018 both Daejeon Citizen and Suwon FC picked up two wins a piece from the four meetings. The most recent was a 3-2 Suwon FC win on 13th October when Kim Daeui's men came out on top in what was a real ding-dong battle at Castle Park.

Kim Daeho had the hosts ahead on 25 minutes before an Lee Jaeahn own goal levelled the score. Baek Sungdong had Suwon's noses back in front on 70 minutes only for Aurelian Chițu to level a mere three minutes later. However, to claim his second and Suwon's third, Baek Sungdong found the back of the net in the dying embers to seal the win with a glancing header.

The last meeting at Purple Arena, in September last year, saw Daejeon Citizen ease past their Gyeonggi Province counter parts in a 1-0 win, Ko Myeongseok finding the back of the net with a header from a corner.

In total, these two teams have met on 13 occasions previously. Daejeon have seven wins to Suwon's five and one draw. At Daejeon World Cup Stadium, Daejeon have lost just once to Suwon in seven meetings.

Team News

Daejeon Citizen are set to welcome Aurelian Chițu back to the fold after the Romanian forward had missed the last two matches with a groin injury. Chițu, who finished as Daejeon's top scorer in 2018, got the Purples' season up and running by bagging the opening goal in the opening day win over Ansan Greeners. Goalkeeper Park Juwon is likely to reclaim his place between the sticks after being rested for the midweek FA Cup loss to Dankook University.

Three former Daejeon Citizen players could line up for Suwon FC this Sunday. Centre backs Yun Junseong and Jang Junyoung both started Suwon's last league match, as did midfielder Kim Jonggook who spent a year with the Purples in 2014.

The Adversary

Suwon FC will head down to Purple Arena with high hopes of continuing their improving performances over the past two games. Both teams having shared two wins apiece head-to-head last season, manager Kim’s Daeui's boys refuse to be labelled as the ‘underdogs’. However, given that the Purples have conceded just two goals in the league, it would be a huge challenge for the visitors to break through the home team’s solid defence. Although this past Wednesday’s FA Cup win saw three of the Suwon FC’s new attacking imports scoring their debuting goal, Suwon’s artillery may still be put into test against the last year’s Promotion Play-off finalists.

Furthermore, the Purples will be the less fatigued as manager Ko Jongsoo decided to rest most of his main players for Wednesday’s FA Cup tie, while half of Suwon’s first-teamers were played to affirm their win at Castle Park. Although Daejeon’s intentions of killing two birds with a stone came to nothing as a determined Dankook University side picked up an astonishing win, the usual starting eleven for Daejeon may have been given more time to prepare for this weekend’s clash.

Suwon FC Lineup vs Ansan Greeners, K League Round 3 

Who To Watch

Yun Yongho, Daejeon Citizen

Yun Yongho joined Daejeon Citizen on loan from Suwon Bluewings over the winter and has already shown exactly why the attacking midfielder is so highly rated at Big Bird. On the opening day of the season, Yun showed great skill and composure to fire the Purples back into the lead away to Ansan Greeners, beating several Green Wolves defenders before finding the top corner. The youngster's technique and close control could be key in unlocking Suwon's defence.

Baek Sungdong, Suwon FC

In seven appearances against Daejeon, Baek (L) has five goals to his name.

Suwon FC's captain for the 2019 season, Baek Sungdong, scored twice, including a late winner, the last time these two sides met last October. It was a similar story in 2017 too as the former V-Varen Nagasaki and Sagan Tosu forward opened the scoring before slotting home a 94th minute penalty in another 3-2 Suwon win over the Purples.

Baek can operate either as a wide forward in a front three, as a striker in a front two or as a number 10 in either a midfield three or five. This season, the 27 year-old has played as a number 10 in a 4-2-3-1, as was the case versus Ansan Greeners and Bucheon FC 1995, and as a right winger in a front three as per the defeat to Busan IPark in Round 2.

The last two times Baek faced Daejeon he was deployed from the left in a front three. So far this term, Baek Sungdong has a shooting accuracy percentage of 62.5 with five of his eight strikes finding the target.

Prediction

Whilst accumulating seven points from a possible nine to start the season is nothing to be sniffed at, the Purples were somewhat profligate during the 0-0 draw with Seoul E-Land a fortnight ago; Citizen's lack of guile without Aurelian Chițu was there for all to see. Should the Romanian be fit enough to make a telling contribution then Ko Jongsoo's side have a chance of getting a result.

However, lower league opposition or not, the 6-0 win over Chungju will have given Suwon FC a huge confidence boost heading into Sunday's clash, especially seeing as though An Byungjun, Sebastián Velásquez and Chisom Agbuchalam all got off the mark for the season. A draw may just prove to be the most likely outcome.


K League 2 Round 4 Preview: here