Team News
FC Anyang are hoping to have Brazilian attacking midfielder Andrigo back from injury having been out since early September. The 27-year-old is the team's joint-second top scorer with seven this season with four assists.
Gaffer Lee Woo-hyung has mostly used a 3-4-3 (38%) or a 5-4-1 (31%) this season. At home, this is mostly been a 3-4-3 (44%). Anyang have a settled back line with Jeong Min-ki in goal, Kim Dong-jin at left wing back, club captain Joo Hyeon-woo on the right and Lee Chang-yong and Baek Dong-gyu as two of the three centre backs in the middle. Anyang have options up top too with Baek Sung-song, Maxwell Acosty, Jonathan Moya, and Kim Kyung-joong.
Suwon Bluewings don't have any major injury concerns with Lee Byun-keun largely having a full squad to choose from. The former Daegu boss took over at Big Bird in April this year, and his side has mostly been set up in a 4-3-3 (18%) or a 4-4-2 (18%) with Dave Bulthuis and Ko Myeong-seok at the heart of a back four.
On the road, Suwon have been set up in a 4-4-2 (20%) or 4-3-3 (16%) with some variations of a 3-5-2/5-3-2 (29%). Oh Hyeon-gyu and An Byong-jun are likely to start in a two-pronged attack. Lee Jong-sung has been a revelation in midfield since returning from his half-season loan spell with Seongnam FC. Lee, who first appeared for Suwon in
Suspensions or accumulated yellows don't count in the playoffs with all players' disciplinary records reset.
Head-to-Head
FC Anyang and Suwon Samsung Bluewings have only met twice before and both meetings came in the FA Cup. The most recent was in May 2021 when the Bluewings needed penalties to advance to the quarter-finals. Ryosuke Tamura and Ha Seung-woon were the Anyang players who missed their spot kicks.
The very first meeting came in FC Anyang's very first season in K League, in 2013. In front of an 11,000-strong crowd at Anyang Civic Stadium, the Violets lost 2-1 to the Bluewings on that occasion. Jeong Jae-yong had actually given Anyang the lead on 53 minutes only for a Jeong Hyeon-yoon own goal on 87 minutes to see the tie level. The winner was found in the 94th minute via Seo Jung-jin.
What to Watch
Two potent attacks
The front three of Baek Sung-dong, Jonathan Moya, and Maxwell Acosty have caused problems for K League 2 defences all season. The trio has a combined 38 goal contributions which makes up 73% of the team's total. Andrigo, if fit, will be a big boost too having scored seven and assisted four while Kim Kyung-joong's return from injury will be most welcome as the former Gangwon winger has six goals and four assists to his name in 2022. Winger Maxwell Acosty ended the season as the division's top assist maker with 11. How the likes of Dave Bulthuis and Ko Myeong-seok handle Anyang's forward line will be key.
But Suwon Bluewings, too, have a forward line that has proved to be dangerous of late. Young striker Oh Hyeong-gyu has 13 goals for the campaign with two assists and has been nominated for the K League 1 Best XI. An Byong-jun has six having begun to find his feet at K League 1 level. The former Suwon FC and Busan IPark man scored last time out, too, in Suwon's 3-1 win over Gimcheon. The duo started the last two matches of the season together in a front two and have found some success with both players getting themselves on the scoresheet.
