Preview: FC Anyang vs Bucheon FC 1995

It's round 21 in the K League 2 and two close rivals on equal points compete to make a late surge towards the playoffs. Seventh place hosts FC Anyang are eights goals ahead of eighth place visitors Bucheon FC 1995, with both teams coming into this match off the backs of consecutive defeats. 

Last Time Out

FC Anyang 1-2 Jeonnam Dragons

In a bizarre weekend that saw every home team lose and every away team score two goals, Anyang fell victim to a team that managed to sneak itself into the playoff positions. Jeonnam Dragons are now fourth place, but briefly fell behind to Anyang in the 18th minute when Hwang Mun-ki scored one of the goals of the season. His curling effort from 30 yards lobbed the goalie and went in off the crossbar. 

The lead did not last long and Jeonnam would equalise in the 28th minute, courtesy of a Park Yo-han own goal in which a mishit header from a corner found its way into his own net. Anyang held on for the rest of the half, but Jeonnam substitute Hernandes gave Jeonnam the three points when he volleyed a rebound shot in after the ball was originally saved by the keeper. Jeonnam are now one point behind third place Daejeon Hana Citizen and one point ahead of fifth place Seoul E-Land. Anyang remain on level points with eighth place Bucheon and ninth place Ansan Greeners. 

Highlights of the match can be viewed here. 

Bucheon 0-2 Jeju United

The rivalry that was much hyped at the beginning of the season ended with three wins for Jeju, with Bucheon failing to score a single goal in any if those matches. Bucheon fell behind early and they failed to recover, as Jeju took the lead in the ninth minute thanks to Joo Min-kyu finding Ahn Hyun-beom in the penalty and Ahn calmly slotting passed the Bucheon goalkeeper. 

Just five minutes later Jeju would double their lead, as Ahn Hyun-beom intercepted a loose Bucheon pass and found Joo Min-kyu, who took the ball into the penalty area and curled a shot into the net. This was enough to secure the three points and ensured Jeju remain top of the league with a two point lead over second place Suwon FC. Bucheon are only two points above bottom side Chungnam Asan, who are away to Gyeongnam this weekend. 

Highlights of the match can be viewed here. 

Previous Meetings

Bucheon won the first match of the fixture this season at home in May 2-1 due to a brace from defender Kim Young-chan, with Maurides scoring for Anyang. Anyang then won the second fixture at home in August 2-1 thanks to goals from Acosty and Kwon Young-hyung, ensuring a come from behind victory after William Barbio gave them the lead. 

That defeat started Bucheon's dismal run of form that they are correctly on, as they have now lost seven matches in a row. It also means that both teams are level with 11 victories against each other in the fixture, alongside 10 draws. Bucheon have scored 43 goals, with Anyang slightly behind on 39.

Team News

Goalkeeper Choi Bong-jin is out as he has one match left of his two match ban. Midfielder Song Hong-min is available for selection after serving his two match ban. Guk Tae-jeong and Kim Hyun-il are one yellow card away from suspension. Defender Kim Young-chan returned to the bench from injury last Saturday, so hopefully can make an appearance at the weekend. Jefferson Baiano was dropped from the teams last Saturday after failing to perform well after his return from injury last month. 

[LISTEN: KLU Pod | K League 1 Post-Split Preview]

The Adversary

Anyang have no suspensions or injury concerns, though forward Yu Jong-hyun is one yellow card away from suspension. While they are not suffering as dramatically as Bucheon have been as of late, Anyang have their own concerns. They have only picked up four points in their last five games, with the most disappointing result being a 1-0 defeat to "Line 4 Derby" rivals Ansan Greeners two weeks ago. That result brought Ansan on level points with both Anyang and Bucheon, meaning league positions could drastically change at the bottom of the league after this weekend. Anyang have at least scored more goals then any of the teams below them, and as Bucheon have failed to score in their last six matches Anyang will be confident of a victory if they can find the net at least once. 

Who To Watch

Responsible for six of Anyang's goals, the club's top scorer Boadu Maxwell Acosty is by far their biggest attacking threat. He scored in the last match against Bucheon and is somewhat of a good luck charm for Anyang, as they have not lost in any of the matches in which he has scored in. In fact, his last goal for Anyang was the winning goal in their most recent win, a 2-1 victory over Seoul E-Land. If he plays on Saturday then Bucheon will need to subdue him, as a goal from him could immediately signal that an eighth straight defeat is on the way. 

Prediction

Bucheon are in a complete scoring rut, while Anyang themselves are only fairing slightly better. Both sides will consider this match to be their best shot at getting a win for a while, but that just might result in both of them playing with caution as they both cannot afford to lose. 

FC Anyang 0-0 Bucheon FC 1995