Finally, part one? '2nd place and 9 point difference'' Anyang, promotion'8th dysfunction'
Sep 22, 2024
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Anyang won 2-1 in the 31st round of 'Hana Bank K League 2 2024' against the Ansan Greeners at Anyang Sports Complex on the 21st. It was a dramatic victory. Anyang without Lee Chang-yong made a three-back centered on Kim Jung-hyun. Anyang, which was aiming for a counterattack, suffered a bad news in the 24th minute of the first half when front-line striker Nicholas was sent off due to accumulated warnings.
Anyang was strong despite its numerical inferiority. In the 34th minute of the first half, a witty throw-in was connected to Mateus, and Kim Dong-jin, who received Mateus' pass, scored the first goal. Park Joon-bae scored an equalizer in the third minute of the second half, but he scored the winning goal in the 13th minute of the second half in a counterattack. When Matheus' shot hit the post, Yago pushed it in. Kim Da-sol's good defense continued, earning three valuable points.
Anyang, which won on the day, has 54 points, widening the gap with second-place Seoul E-Land (45 points). With eight games to go, it's a pretty big gap. Anyang has been in crisis recently. He didn't even get a single win in August. It was two draws and one loss. In particular, the one-on-one draw with Seongnam FC and Cheonan City, which are in the lower ranks, was quite hurt. In the meantime, Eyland came up at a breakneck speed.
It changed the mood in September. The away game of Gimpo FC on the 15th was the turning point. E-Land beat Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on the 14th and followed by a three-point gap. Without catching Gimpo, the crisis could have accelerated. Anyang, which had a difficult game, took a breather with a dramatic 2-1 victory with Chae Hyun-woo's winning goal in extra time in the second half. In the subsequent match against Ansan, he took the victory despite the variable of one person being sent off, widening the gap between points, and gaining the atmosphere once again. In particular, it is encouraging that 'Winning Mentality' has been restored.
Anyang, which transformed into head coach Yoo Byung-hoon ahead of this season, finally had a chance. He exerted his power from the beginning with the words `Flower bud football' that `coloured and spread freely and faster than others' in a game situation. Anyang, which rose to No. 1 in April, gave up the lead once or twice, but remained in the lead. Since June 2, it has been at the top of the list for nearly four months. Anyang remained unshakable despite the chaos in which the upper and middle ranks changed every round. There were also crises such as the injury of key striker Dan-rey, but he has not missed the top spot with coach Yoo's leadership, which is not new. With the victory over Ansan, he came to the eighth ridge.
There is a last variable. It will be a showdown with E-Land that will take place at Mokdong Stadium on the 24th. If you win here, you will effectively cross the 9th buoyancy line of promotion. The gap of four games (12 points) is not easy to overturn considering the number of games remaining. But if you lose, you have to watch the situation until the very end. Busan I-Park also missed the promotion, which was completed last season, under pressure. For Anyang, which has no experience in promotion yet, the last-minute chase may come as a bigger burden.
vanbasten@sportschosun.com
