Preview: Bucheon FC 1995 vs Suwon FC

Two promotion chasing sides that were defeated last weekend face each other in round 14 of the K League 2 this Sunday. Hosts Bucheon FC 1995 fell to sixth place after their biggest loss of the season last Sunday. Meanwhile, first place Suwon FC saw their lead at the top of the table cut to just one point after losing to the League's then-bottom team. 

Last Time Out

Seoul E-Land 3-0 Bucheon FC 1995

After experiencing a disappointing goalless draw to Ansan Greeners in the week before, Bucheon needed to win in order to return to the play-offs. However, they would succumb to a heavy defeat that saw their opponents overtake them in the process. Seoul were dominant from the beginning and hit the crossbar from a close-range Kim Min-kyun shot in the ninth minute. They then took the lead in the 30th minute when Leandro received a through ball, dribbled into the penalty area and confidently side-footed the ball passed the goalkeeper.

Won Ki-jong came on as a substitute for Sukuta-Pasu in the 56th minute and secured the win for Seoul. After winning the ball from the Bucheon defence Leandro dribbled into the area and passed across the face of goal for Won to easily tap in from close-range in the 78th minute. He then scored from even closer range, when a cross deflected off the Bucheon goalie to head into the direction of the goal, and Won tapped-in on the goal line. Bucheon had periods of possession but failed to cause much a threat in the final third throughout the match, and the win was deserved for Seoul.

Highlights of the match can be viewed here. 

Suwon FC 1-2 Ansan Greeners

Suwon came into this match in fine form off the back of two comfortable wins that secured their place at the top of the table. However, last Saturday they looked a shell of their usual selves as they succumbed to a defeat that allowed their rivals to close the gap between them. It looked like business as usual when Suwon took the lead in the 14th minute thanks to Han Heong-woo's near post finish from a quick counterattack.

Ansan did not fold and found themselves level in the 39th minute. A poor clearance of an Ansan cross found its way to Felipe, who slotted the ball in from the middle of the penalty area. Ansan secured the precious three points in the 60th minute, after a goalmouth scramble that included two sliced bicycle kicks found an unmarked Kim Tae-hyun who volleyed home from the six yard box. Suwon pushed for an equaliser, but Ansan held on to deservedly grab the win and move up to eighth place in the league. 

Highlights of the match can be viewed here. 

Previous Meetings

Honours are even between the two clubs, with 10 wins each and six draws. Five of those draws have come when Bucheon are at home, meaning both clubs have won the majority of their wins at Suwon (six for Suwon and seven for Bucheon). Bucheon have scored move goals in the fixture, with 40 goals in comparison to Suwon's 36. Last year Bucheon were the dominant side with three wins and one draw, which came at home. Despite Suwon's fantastic league form this season, Bucheon emerged victorious 2-1 away in the first match between the two clubs this season, with Lee Hyun-il scoring a brace for Bucheon that sandwiched An Byong-jun's goal for Suwon.

Team News

Jefferson Baiano has been dropped for the last two matches, his longest spell outside of the team sheet this season. Barbio was favoured to lead the attack in a 4-5-1 formation, with new signing Choe Byeong-chan starting for the first time on the left-wing. Choe had a rather frustrating night and was substituted in the second half in exchange for Ju Jong-dae. 

Manager Song Sun-ho seems to be preferring a four-man defence as of late, with Cho Beom-seok moving into midfield and being replaced at centre-back by Kwon Seung-ri, and Guk Tae-jung moving from left-wing to left-back. If Song wishes to continue this at weekend the he has a full squad to choose from as Bucheon currently have no suspensions. 

[LISTEN: KLU Pod | Preseason Prediction Check In]

The Adversary

For most of the season Suwon have been pushing their opponents aside and currently have the best offensive record in the league. Last week's defeat was a surprise, but their poor performance needs to be a wake up call to prevent it from derailing their promotion hopes. 

Summer signing Lars Veldwijk hasn't quite fitted into the team yet, and the decision to bring him on after 30 minutes in place of the U22 player was short sighted. This was due to fellow signing, 37 year-old Cho Won-hee, having to be brought off after 39 minutes, meaning Suwon only had one substitution available before the second half even started. 

This is not to take away from Ansan Greeners impressive performance, but it looks as though the new signings might be getting forced into the match day squad without much thought, and it could be having a negative affect on team chemistry. 

Who To Watch

23 year-old centre-back Kwon Seung-ri only played seven minutes of senior football last season, which was his first as a professional, and this season he started on the outskirts of the Bucheon squad. Out of the first five matches of the season, he sat on the bench for four of them and was left of the squad completely for the defeat to Jeju. 

Kwon finally made an appearance as a last minute substitute in the defeat to Jeonnam in mid-June, but since then he has started four matches and come off the bench for one, and was only dropped for the victory against Daejeon in early July. His entrance into the team was largely due to the suspensions of Kim Kang-san and Cho Beom-seok, but Kwon made the most of the chance and has forced the manager to switch defensive tactics. 

If he is to play against Suwon, it will be his biggest challenge to date as he faces the league's strongest attack. A good performance could cement his place in the team for the rest of the season, but a bad showing could seem him being relegated to the bench once again. 

Prediction

This is an incredibly important match for both teams and most observers will probably judge it as a certain Suwon victory. However, wins against Suwon and Daejeon this season have shown that Bucheon can upset the league's promotion favourites. If Suwon have not recovered from the Ansan defeat, then the game could come down to Bucheon's ability to take chances.

Bucheon FC 1995 1-1 Suwon FC

[READ: K League 2 Round 14 Preview]