Match of the Round
Suwon Samsung Bluewings (2nd) vs. Bucheon FC 1995 (10th), Sat. 18th May - 19:00
After back-to-back losses and a run of three matches without a win, the task at hand for Suwon Bluewings is to return to winning ways. The Bluewings suffered a shock home loss to Cheonan City last time out and are now five points behind league leaders FC Anyang. This Saturday's visitors to Big Bird, Bucheon FC 1995, are also in need of a win, making the short trip to Suwon whilst on a run of one win in five. With playoff aspirations, Lee Young-min and his men will be targeting three points this Saturday.
The Bluewings may look to Kim Hyun for inspiration who has an impressive total of eight goal contributions in 10 appearances this season - four goals and four assists. In fact, he managed a goal contribution in six straight matches up until the Round 10 clash with Seongnam. Bucheon will be looking to former Bluewings winger Rodrigo Bassani. The Brazilian has two goals so far this season, including an equalising penalty in the eventual 4-3 loss to Jeonnam. He's Bucheon's second-most accurate shooter so far this season, and has made 14 key passes, the most at Bucheon and the seventh-most in the division. Saturday's match is the first-ever meeting between the two teams. A win for Suwon would ensure that second place remains theirs for the time being while a win for Bicheon could move them up into the playoff places.
Team of the Round
Jeonnam Dragons (vs. Seoul E-Land, Sat. 18th May - 19:00)
Back-to-back wins have moved Jeonnam Dragons up to fourth in the K League 2 table, just two points behind Suwon Bluewings in second and one behind their opponents this weekend, Seoul E-Land. Last time out, goals from Kim Jong-min and Valdivia earned the Dragons a 2-0 win over Seongnam FC, before that, a late, late Valdivia penalty earned Jeonnam a 4-3 away win over Bucheon. Jeonnam have shown so far this season that once they take the lead, the points are usually theirs. Lee Jang-kwan's side have gone ahead five times this season and have won the match on all five occasions. As a team, Jeonnam rank second for passes in the final third with 909, third for successful dribbles, and, from a defensive point of view, rank first for interceptions (187), second for tackles (105), and third for successful duels. Opponents this weekend Seoul E-Land have also won their last two matches. Last season, each team picked up one win at home and shared the spoils in a 3-3 draw.
Player of the Round
Leonard Pllana, Gimpo FC (vs. Gyeongnam FC, Sun. 19th May - 19:00)
Leanord Pllana's first goal for Gimpo FC on Wednesday helped his new team earn a vital win. Gimpo are now sitting in sixth place in the table, just one point behind Busan in fifth. Pllana had already got off the mark for assists, teeing up Lee Hyeon-il in the Round 8 win over Ansan Greeners. Pllana's 22 shots for the season ranks him ninth in the division, 16 shots from outside the area is enough to sit third among all players in K League 2, while a total of 12 key passes places him in the top 10. Last season, while in the yellow of Jeonnam Dragons, the Kosovo international forward scored eight goals. Now off the mark, the 27-year-old will be looking to at least match that tally. Up next for Pllana and Gimpo is the long trip south to take on Gyeongnam FC.
K League 2 Table
K League 2 Round 13 Fixtures
Saturday 18th May
#ANSvCHFC: Ansan Greeners (13th) vs. Chungbuk Cheongju (7th) - 16:30
#SEFCvJDFC: Seoul E-Land (3rd) vs. Jeonnam Dragons (4th) - 19:00
#SSBvBUC: Suwon Samsung Bluewings (2nd) vs. Bucheon FC 1995 (10th) - 19:00
Sunday 19th May
#CCFCvANY: Cheonan City (12th) vs. FC Anyang (1st) - 16:30
#SFCvBUS: Seongnam FC (9th) vs. Busan IPark (5th) - 16:30
#GYEvGFC: Gyeongnam FC (11th) vs Gimpo FC (6th) - 19:00