Busan look to bounce back against freefalling Asan

Busan IPark have the chance to make up for a disappointing weekend result with a game against bottom club Chungnam Asan on Thursday evening. Can the Royals make ground on the league leaders, or will struggling Asan throw another spanner into Busan’s promotion push?

Recent Form

Busan IPark dropped two points on Sunday after being held to a 0-0 draw by nine-man Bucheon 1995. Bucheon had Crislan sent off after two minutes, and Park Chang-jun followed in the 70th minute. Busan dominated the second half and could have scored a hatful, but some wasteful finishing, combined with some excellent saves by Choi Chul-won, made for a frustrating afternoon for the Royals. 

Chungnam Asan, meanwhile, lost their fourth game on the bounce against high-flying Anyang on Sunday. Kim Kyung-joong’s goal was enough for Anyang, leaving Asan bottom of the table, having scored only once in five matches.

 

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Team News

Busan coach Ricardo Peres may decide to rotate his squad ahead of Sunday’s game with Jeonnam Dragons, so there could be returns for Lee Ji-seung in midfield and Park Jeong-in in attack. Goalkeeper Koo Sang-min, left back Ku Hyeon-jun, and defensive midfielder Lee Chung-woong will all hope to get their first minutes since returning from military service last month. 

Kim Jin-kyu and Ahn Joon-soo are still away with the Olympic team, while Park Jong-woo remains injured, and Kang Min-soo and Kim Byong-oh have left the club. Busan’s new Australian signing Ryan Edwards has completed his self-isolation since joining from Burton Albion and has an outside chance of being in the squad. 

Chungnam Asan, meanwhile, will be without forward Matheus Alves, who was sent off last time out.

Who to Watch

18 year-old Lee Tae-min isn’t guaranteed to be involved against Asan, but after a sparkling cameo against Bucheon at the weekend, Ricardo Peres may find it difficult to ignore the teenage winger. One of the few bright sparks in a frustrating performance, Lee showed speed, aggression, and a willingness to take the game by the horns after coming on with 22 minutes to play. 

Lee found a Busan player with four of his seven crosses, and also completed 85% of his passes as he probed the Bucheon defence. If given the chance against Asan on Thursday, don’t be surprised to see this promising young player make a name for himself. Peres looks to have a real future star on his hands.

Prediction

Asan have been in poor form since Covid disrupted their season in May, winning only one of the ten games since their season got back up and running. Busan have been blowing hot and cold, but they should have enough going forward to get the three points. Top scorer An Byong-jun has gone two games without a goal, and he very rarely goes longer without scoring. 

Predicted Score: Busan IPark 2-1 Chungnam Asan