K League 2 (Part 2) Gyeongnam FC and Bucheon FC have a surprising history. It all started in April of last year, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when three of Gyeongnam’s four goalkeepers contracted the virus. The other was out with a long-term injury. Gyeongnam requested that the game be postponed because goalkeeping is a specialized position, but the KFA insisted on playing the game according to the rules. Field player Lee Woo-hyuk put on the goalkeeping gloves, and the game ended in a 3-2 win for Bucheon. While Gyeongnam expressed their disappointment with the federation’s decision, they also criticized Bucheon for not cooperating with the postponement.
A month later, the teams met again, this time at Bucheon’s home.
It ended in a 1-0 win for Gyeongnam, but something happened after the game. The coaching staffs of both teams got into a fight. After the game, the head coach of Gyeongnam, Seol Ki-hyun, came to the Bucheon bench to say hello, and the Bucheon bench expressed their displeasure, saying, “Is this a revenge for the last game?” The two benches clashed. 카지노사이트 Bucheon head coach Lee Young-min was sent off, and Gyeongnam head coach Hong Jun-hyung was warned.
The tension between the two teams continued throughout the season, and coincidentally, last year’s semi-playoffs (PO) also featured a matchup between Gyeongnam and Bucheon. The two teams met on an unassailable wooden bridge, with Bucheon ranked fourth and Gyeongnam fifth at the time, and the match was played at Bucheon’s home and won by Gyeongnam. Gyeongnam, who needed a win to advance to the next round, won 3-2 in the 50th minute of the second leg when Thiago converted a pass from Mo Jae-hyun to win 3-2 and advance to the PO.
The two teams, who have been quiet this season, will meet again at a crucial moment.
Gyeongnam and Bucheon will play the K League 2 Semi-Po at 7 p.m. on the 29th at the Changwon Football Center. Gyeongnam and Bucheon defeated Gimpo FC and Jeonnam Dragons in the final round, respectively, to earn a spot in the PO. Both teams earned the same 57 points in the regular season, but Gyeongnam finished fourth on goal difference and will play the semifinals at home. Gyeongnam has the advantage. The K League Two promotion POs are played for 90 minutes with no extra time, so if the game ends in a draw, the team with the higher regular season ranking will be the winner. For Gyeongnam, a draw is enough to advance to the next round.
On paper, it’s a matchup of spears and shields.
Gyeongnam, which has scored 54 goals in 36 games, is ahead of Bucheon (45) in offense, but Bucheon, which has conceded only 35 goals, is better than Gyeongnam (42) in defense. Gyeongnam has a number of top K League 2 strikers, including Won Ki-jong (10 goals) and Mo Jae-hyun (6 goals), in addition to Gleason, who ranks fourth in scoring with 13 goals. Mo Jae-hyun, who did not play in the last match against Gimpo, is also expected to start. Against them, Bucheon will field a three-back with a solid organization. The team was worried about a month-long hiatus after their last match, but they are determined to continue their upward trend. Ahn Jae-jun, the Asian Games gold medalist who scored a hat-trick against Jeonnam, will spearhead the counterattack.
“We play Bucheon a lot, so we’re familiar with them. Last year, we were in a must-win position against Bucheon, but this time we have a little bit of an advantage because we’re playing them at home in fourth place.” “I remember losing to Gyeongnam last year with a late goal in extra time. We will only think about how to win to make up for it.”
