Preview: FC Anyang vs Daejeon Citizen

Anyang's rough patch has caused wolves to be breathing down their necks. Can a home fixture against a bottom of the league Daejeon Citizen be the catalyst to restart the winning streak that saw them climb into the playoffs?

Last Time Out

Busan I'Park 1-1 FC Anyang
The first ten minutes of this important playoff six pointer saw Busan nearly break the deadlock after a whipped cross met the head of a Busan attacker. Luckily Yang Dong-won made an expert save at his near post. It wasn't long before Anyang began their counter attack style of play, just moments later Mo Jae-hyeon found himself with a goal scoring chance but just missed the mark.

Anyang scored first heading into second half as Alex buried an inside of the box deflection into the roof of the net for 1-0 Anyang. With chaos around him, he stayed calm and proved some of the doubters wrong about his finishing ability, especially after the penalty miss last time out. The second half saw only a few stylistic changes for Anyang as Lee Jeong-bin had a more withdrawn role after all the first half attention and knocks.

The goal for Busan was a hard one to take, Yang Dong-won who had won plaudits for his first half display. Made an error in judgement and went to punch the ball clear of a corner, but in his haste he didn't realize the amount of Busan players blocking his path and became stuck. The goal was left open for Soma Novothny to easily head home for 1-1. The game quietened down after that goal with both sides relying on their strong defenses holding for an equal share of the points.

Gwangju 0-0 Daejeon Citizen 
Daejeon Citizen a team who have struggled to score goals all year lining up against the best defense in the league, was always going to cause an issue for Daejeon scoring. Especially when considering the past form of these two teams meeting with only one goal in three matches. The first half saw a lot of possession dominance by Gwangju, but Gwangju failed to have a clear enough chance to penetrate the strong Daejeon defense.

With both teams focusing on aerial ability or set pieces the game became very much a physical battle. The only clear none aerial chance fall to Daejeon late in the first half but was quickly stopped by the on rushing Yoon Pyeong-gook with a wonderful clearance. The second half was a tense and chances were few and far between. With Gwangju still maintaining the majority of the possession they couldn't break through the now sometimes five at the back defense. The 2,792 people in attendance witnessed a tense 0-0 result with Daejeon fans definitely feeling the happier of the two.

Previous Meetings

The last time these teams met it was game week 18, and Anyang had been unbeaten in two games. With consecutive games with two goals scored by Anyang's deadly front three of Cho Kyu-sung, Alex and Palacios. Anyang ran out victorious in the last encounter with two goals from the aforementioned Cho Kyu-sung. The young striker was clinical in front of goal and caused havoc for the defense of Daejeon.

Daejeon did manage to pull a late goal back in the dying minutes as a penalty was awarded which An Sang-hyun dutifully scored. Anyang have been suffering as of late with injuries or disciplinary problems ruling key players out, which if that would have happened before the previous encounter, it might have meant a different outcome than the 2-1 in Anyang's favor.

Team News

Anyang have a few doubts heading into this encounter, Palacios whilst not declared as injured. Was massively sidelined after the Seoul E-Land game, and wasn't fit enough even for the bench on the weekend verses Busan. Cho Kyu-sung should be back from his suspension, which means two of the key parts of the previous win will be back in action. 

The return of Choi Ho-jung in the defense for Anyang should also be a big boost of leadership that has been lacking in recent weeks. This might be able to turn the many draws into victories. Mo Jae-hyeon might be playing as the creative outlet for Anyang on the wing, but he took some knocks as well last time out. Lee Jeong-bin will be the commanding force in the center of the pitch for Anyang but he will be a doubt for the full ninety minutes.

The Adversary

To say Daejeon have been struggling this season would be an understatement. The citizen owned club have only won four games. With two of those victories coming in the last nineteen games. They're a team in free fall and with their season all but over, the focus turns to rebuilding and for players to prove their worth for the next season.

Daejeon's away form is slightly stronger than their home form, as they did manage to record their fourth win away from home against a strong Ansan Greeners teams and a draw last time out verses the best team in the league Gwangju. For Daejeon to get anything out of this game, look towards their defense to be the pivotal factor.

As before the main issue for Daejeon is goals. Where are they coming from and who is going to be the goalscorer? With only 17 goals scored all year, they're a far cry away from the 44 that Anyang have scored. This statistic wouldn't be as concerning for Daejeon if it wasn't for the mental toll it's taking on players, if Daejeon concede first they almost always lose the game. With Daejeon having only won one game from behind and that was 11 months ago. They will need to score first, which is a problem they can't seem to solve right now.

What To Watch

The return of Cho Kyu-sung, the young Korean star got suspended when facing Seoul E-land. However, now he's had a much needed rest due to his suspension. He could be back to his before fatigue form. The last time Cho Kyu-sung lined up against Daejeon Citizen, he was the man of the match winner with a wonderful brace securing the three points for Anyang.

With a point to prove and possibly trying to win back some support from his teammates after his dismissal. Cho Kyu-sung could prove yet again to be the difference maker. Anyang have a great recent record against the Citizen club with two goals scored in each of their last two encounters. This game should have a high amount of goals scored and with the discrepancy between both teams attack and defend, entertainment is almost guaranteed.

Prediction

Anyang will be back to their near full strength line up, which on their day can create an abundance of chances. Whilst Daejeon did hold Gwangju to a draw, Anyang's pass and width based approach to playing should cause more problems for the Daejeon defense than Gwangju did. However, Daejeon have a proven track record of scoring at Anyang so this tradition is likely to continue.

FC Anyang 3-1 Daejeon Citizen