2024 Hana Bank K League 2 Round 21 Preview.
Match of the Round
Gimpo FC (4th) vs. Chungnam Asan (5th) - Saturday 6th July, 19:00
Fourth host third this Saturday when Gimpo FC welcome Chungnam Asan to Solteo Football Stadium. Both teams are in good form, more so Chungnam Asan who have flown up to third following a run of three straight wins. The Owls have managed 10 goals in their last three matches and haven't conceded a single goal in their last five. New signing Josepablo Monreal has also hit the ground running since switching Castle Park for the Yisunsin Stadium, having bagged four in his first three games for the club including a brace last time out.
Gimpo remain unbeaten in four but head into Saturday's match having drawn their last two. In both games, they showed determination to come from a goal down to earn the point. Prior to that, Gimpo had recorded three straight 1-0 wins including the Korean Cup triumph over K League giants Jeonbuk. Just a point separates the two sides, though, and with second-place Jeonnam Dragons not too far ahead, a win for either side could propel them into the race for second or even the title. But one thing's for certain, with a healthy lead over the playoff-chasing pack, both sides will be keen on cementing their place in the playoffs.
The Owls are among the top scorers in the division with 29, sitting third in that regard but just two behind Seoul E-Land and Jeonnam. Gimpo have a more modest 20 goals scored but sit third for headed goals with six. A total of 176 shots is among the fewest in the division but Gimpo are one of the most accurate shooters, having landed 42% of all attempts on goal on target. At the other end of the pitch, Gimpo's 19 goals conceded is the joint-third fewest - continuing their solid defensive displays from last year.
Gimpo emerged as the victors when these two sides met earlier in the campaign with Jung Han-cheol and Leonard Plana on the score sheet to earn a 2-1 win.
Team of the Round
FC Anyang (vs. Cheonan City, Mon. 8th July - 19:30)
The league leaders FC Anyang survived a bit of a scare at the weekend and had to come from behind to earn a win away to Bucheon FC 1995. Kim Dong-jin's goal in the 76th minute eventually turned the game on its head and kept the Violets five points clear at the top of the table. It was the team's 11th of the season and third in five but was one that ended a trend of Ryu Byeong-hun's side being unable to come back behind to earn the three points. Before Sunday's game, Anyang had gone behind four times this season, losing three and drawing one. Anyang have managed to earn such a healthy lead at the top of the table thanks to their superior shooting accuracy; 43.1% is the best in the division. The goals tend to be shared out with three players on four goals for the campaign - Kim Dong-jin, Matheus Oliveira, and Danrlei, while Yago Cesar and Kim Un are on three. Up next for Anyang is the visit of Cheonan City on Monday night, a side that's on a run of one win in five. Anyang won 1-0 when the two sides met earlier in the campaign, Kim Dong-jin grabbed the game's only goal 10 minutes in.
Player of the Round
Valdivia, Jeonnam Dragons (vs. Ansan Greeners, Sun. 7th July - 19:00)
Last year's K League 2 MVP, Jeonnam Dragons attacking midfielder Valdivia, bagged his sixth goal of the campaign last time out. It put the gloss on a win over Gyeongnam, making it 4-2 shortly after the Roses had just pulled a goal back. The win keeps Jeonnam in the hunt for the K League 2 title, sitting just five points behind FC Anyang. Shooting accuracy of 38.46% ranks him second among all Jeonnam players, 21 deep completions ranks the Brazilian sixth in the league, and 51 progressive runs is the third highest. But more than anything, the number of important goals that Valdivia has scored is what makes him such a key player for the Dragons. Four goals games that Jeonnam have either drawn or won by a single goal have helped his team earn six points more, which could be the difference in sitting second or fifth. Up next for Valdivia and Jeonnam is Ansan Greeners away. The first meeting of 2024 ended in a 1-1 draw.
K League 2 Table
K League 2 Round 21 Fixtures
Saturday 6th July
#GFCvCAFC: Gimpo FC (4th) vs. Chungnam Asan (3rd) - 19:00
#BUSvBUC: Busan IPark (9th) vs. Bucheon FC 1995 (8th) - 19:30
Sunday 7th July
#ANSvJDFC: Ansan Greeners (13th) vs. Jeonnam Dragons (2nd) - 19:00
#CHFCvSEFC: Chungbuk Cheongju (7th) vs. Seoul E-Land (6th) - 19:00
Monday 8th July
#SFCvGYE: Seongnam FC (11th) vs. Gyeongnam FC (12th) - 19:30
#ANYvCCFC: FC Anyang (1st) vs. Cheonan City (10th) - 19:30
