Gyeongnam head into Saturday's match on the back of a heavy 4-0 loss to Gwangju and so will be keen to pick up some momentum heading into the playoffs should they make it. Anyang bounced back from a run of four matches without a win by winning their last two. Anyang have won two of the three meetings with Gyeongnam this season, winning 3-2 in August and 1-0 in May. The Roses, though, won the first meeting of the year 3-2 at the beginning of March.
There are one or two individual races that could be decided in this match too. Gyeongnam striker Tiago is one shy of the league's leading goal scorer Yoo Kang-hyeon and so could win the golden boot with a brace this Saturday. Anyang's Maxwell Acosty leads K League 2 for assists with 11 but has Gwangju's Lee Eu-ddeum hot on his heels with 10.
Team of the Round
Daejeon Hana Citizen (vs. Ansan Greeners)
A win seals second place for Daejeon Hana Citizen. Although, given that FC Anyang would need to win and score 16 goals to leapfrog Daejeon, the Purples realistically only need one more point. Lee Min-sung and his team travel to Ansan Greeners this Saturday knowing that their destiny is in their own hands. The Purples have won at Ansan already this term, too, a 2-1 victory on a bright and sunny April afternoon. Former Green Wolf Ishida Masatoshi gave Daejeon the lead after just four minutes before Lee Sang-min leveled on 31 with an emphatic strike. However, Kim In-gyun sealed the win in stoppage time.
Player of the Round
Yoo Kang-hyun, Chungnam Asan (vs. Gwangju FC)
Sitting one goal ahead of Tiago in the race for the golden boot, Chungnam Asan's Yoo Kang-hyun knows that a 20th goal of the season might just be enough. From an xG of 22.85, Yoo has 19 for the season so far, helped by dispatching the most shots at 103 and with the 10th-best accuracy at 46.6%. The added incentive for Yoo is that Chungnam Asan are seeking a place in the playoffs. The Owls sit two points behind Gyeongnam and so the task at hand is clear: beat Gwangju and hope that the Roses slip up against FC Anyang. Yoo has scored against Gwangju already this term, the opener in Round 19 but on that occasion, Chungnam Asan went on to lose 3-2.
Elsewhere in K League 2 Round 44
Meanwhile, Busan IPark are away to Seoul E-Land looking for a win that could move them off the foot of the table. A victory over the Leopards coupled with a defeat for Jeonnam away to Bucheon and the Royals will manage to avoid the so-called "wooden spoon." Seoul E-Land, though, are aiming to end the season on a high and could finish sixth if they win and Chungnam Asan lose to Gwangju.
Bucheon FC 1995 are at home to Jeonnam Dragons looking for momentum heading into the playoffs following a run of three straight defeats. The Reds can't finish higher or lower than fourth but are set to take on either Gyeongnam or Chungnam Asan in the playoffs next Wednesday.
K League 2 Table
K League 2 Round 44 Fixtures
Saturday 15th October - 15:00
#GYEvANY: Gyeongnam FC (5th) vs FC Anyang (2nd)
#ANSvDHFC: Ansan Greeners (9th) vs Daejeon Hana Citizen (2nd)
#CAFCvGWA: Chungnam Asan (6th) vs Gwangju FC (1st)
#SEFCvBUS: Seoul E-Land (7th) vs Busan IPark (11th)
#BUCvJDFC: Bucheon FC 1995 (4th) vs Jeonnam Dragons (10th)
Paul Neat
Managing Editor
