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2023 Hana 1Q K League 2 Round 38 Preview

league 2023.11.09   I   hits 331

There are only two rounds to play in the 2023 Hana 1Q K League 2 season and, as yet, nothing has been decided. The championship race goes on with the two frontrunners, Busan IPark and Gimcheon Sangmu, on the road this weekend. The final two playoff spots are still open with fourth-placed Bucheon FC sitting out this round.


Match of the Round

Jeonnam Dragons vs. Busan IPark, Sun. 11th November - 18:30

League leaders Busan IPark travel to Gwangyang on Sunday for a game with enormous significance in both the playoff and championship races. Busan holds a two-point lead over free-scoring Gimcheon Sangmu with as many games to play. If Gimcheon fails to beat Gyeongnam on Saturday evening, a Busan IPark victory will see them crowned K League 2 champions. However, a Gimcheon win will pile the pressure on Busan to pick up points and reclaim first spot going into the final weekend.

Jeonnam Dragons are three points back on Gyeongnam FC in fifth. With their fate out of their own hands, the Dragons will be desperately hoping Gimcheon takes all three points from their trip to Changwon. Jeonnam's form has been wildly inconsistent and they haven't been helped by poor discipline; four red cards in their last six games. Matches between these two clubs have been low-scoring in recent years and Jeonnam are without a home win over Busan for two years. Expect another tight game on Sunday.



Team of the Round

Gimcheon Sangmu (vs. Gyeongnam FC, Saturday, 18:30)

Gimcheon Sangmu last dropped a point on September 19th when they suffered a surprise 1-0 defeat against midtable Seongnam FC. That loss brought an end to a poor run of form in which Gimcheon collected just four points from a possible 12. It allowed Busan IPark to take command of K League 2 and with just two games to play, time is running out for the military team. Since the loss in Seongnam, Gimcheon have hit top form, winning five straight, and scoring 19 goals. Two weeks ago, Gimcheon completely outplayed a Gimpo FC side still in contention for a top-two finish.

Should Gimcheon fail to win, Busan can wrap up the title with all three points on Sunday. Standing in their way is revitalized Gyeongnam FC with renewed hopes of a playoff spot and, incredibly, a top 4 finish. After a mixed run of form, the hosts are unbeaten in three and will climb above Bucheon FC with a win on Saturday, That's what makes these games so exciting; there's everything to play for. Gimcheon won 2-0 during their last visit to Changwon in July.


Player of the Round

Peter Makrillos, Chungbuk Cheongju FC (vs. Chungnam Asan FC, Sat. 11th November - 16:00)

No matter what happens, this has been a positive first season for Chungbuk Cheongju in K League 2. They will, naturally, feel some regret if they fail to make the playoffs after putting themselves in a great position just over a month ago. However, winless in four, Cheongju FC picked a bad time to stop collecting much-needed victories. They opened September with a goalless draw in Bucheon but still had a game in hand over their promotion rivals. Ironically, that game was against this weekend's opponent, Chungnam Asan FC. Cheongju came from a goal behind to lead 2-1 as the game entered the closing minutes, but two late strikes for Asan stole all three points. A week later, they conceded a 90th-minute equalizer to Gyeongnam FC and, in the previous round, suffered a heavy defeat in Gwangyang.

Cheongju have an outside chance of making the playoffs. They need to win on Sunday against provincial rivals Chungnam Asan to stand any chance and the key to that success will be Peter Makrillos. He is the club's second-top scorer this season with seven goals plus one assist. His team's form versus Asan is surprising, though, losing both fixtures, including an early season 4-0 loss. This is Asan's 36th and final game of the year. They can't catch Cheongju in 8th but a victory will certainly end Cheongju's playoff hopes.

Elsewhere in K League 2 Round 38

Seoul E-Land hosts Seongnam FC in Saturday's early game at Mokdong Stadium, looking to end a run of three points from a possible 21. They suffered home losses against the only two clubs below them in the table last month and with a visit to Gimcheon at the end of November, this might be seen as a game that the Leopards can win and end their home campaign on a high note. Seongnam, meanwhile, have endured a difficult first season back K League 2. They can finish no higher than 9th which would have been unthinkable at the start of the year. The last four games between these two sides have ended in 2-1 wins for the away team, and the four games before those ended in a draw. Seoul E-Land have never beaten Seongnam at home.

FC Anyang head west to face Line 4 rivals Ansan Greeners in Sunday's early kick-off. Anyang were a whisker away from gaining a first-ever promotion last year but with two games to play, they are down in 7th spot. Mathematically they have a chance of sneaking into the final playoff spot but that requires an unlikely set of results going in their favour. Ansan are bottom of the table, two points behind debutants Cheonan City FC, with just five wins from 34 games all season. They're on a three-game losing streak, conceding 14 goals in the process. So far in 2023, nothing has been able to separate the south Gyeonggi-do rivals with both fixtures ending in a 1-1 draw. 

There's a top-end-versus-bottom-end clash in Cheonan immediately following events in Ansan when Gimpo FC faces Cheonan City FC. Gimpo were well beaten in Gimcheon in Round 37 meaning that whilst their place in the playoffs is confirmed, they can not finish in any position other than third. Depending on the result in Wa~ Stadium earlier in the day, all three points could be enough for Cheonan to lock down 12th spot in front of their home fans for the final time this season. After a rocky start to life in K League 2, that would represent a satisfactory conclusion. History is against the hosts in this fixture as Gimpo have won both by a combined score of 6-0.


K League 2 Table


K League 2 Round 38 Fixtures

Saturday 21st October

#SEFCvSFC: Seoul E-Land FC (11th) vs Seongnam FC (10th) - 13:30 
#CHFCvCAFC: Chungbuk Cheongju FC (8th) vs Chungnam Asan FC (9th) - 16:00
#GYEvGIM: Gyeongnam FC (5th) vs Gimcheon Sangmu (2nd) - 18:30 

Sunday 22nd October

#ANSvANY: Ansan Greeners FC (13th) vs FC Anyang (7th) - 13:30 
#CCFCvGFC: Cheonan City FC (12th) vs Gimpo FC (3rd) - 16:00
#JDFCvBUS: Jeonnam Dragons (6th) vs Busan IPark (1st) - 18:30

Where to Watch

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