Competition is fierce for the K League 2 semi-playoff. In this round, teams that can challenge promotion to the first division will face off.
MATCH OF ROUND – 7th place Chungbuk Cheongju vs 5th place Gyeongnam to determine the direction of K League 2 semi-playoffs
Fifth-ranked Gyeongnam, which is competing for the K League 2 semi-playoff berth, and seventh-ranked Chungbuk Cheongju will face off in the 36th round. Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, lost 2-3 in a net match against Asan, South Chungcheong Province, on the 14th. It is the first time in 23 games that Chungcheongbuk-do Cheongju has conceded more than three goals in a game since the last nine rounds. Chungcheongbuk-do’s match against Asan in Chungcheongnam-do was disappointing in many ways for Cheongju in Chungcheongbuk-do, which recently showed “salty water defense.”
South Gyeongsang Province beat Seoul E-Land 3-1 in the 35th round and escaped from a four-game winless (one draw and 3 losses). It was encouraging that the team’s main gun, Gleason, restarted the scoring in about three months. Gleason also scored in a recent showdown with Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, leading Gyeongnam to a 2-0 victory.
Both Cheongju and Gyeongnam in North Chungcheong Province have four games left until the K League 2 semi-playoff, which is given up to fifth place. If Gyeongnam wins the match, it will beat seventh-ranked Chungbuk Cheongju by five points. On the other hand, if Chungbuk Cheongju wins and Jeonnam draws or loses, Chungbuk Cheongju will rank fifth. The two teams, which are set to face a “six-point” showdown, will clash at Cheongju Stadium at 4 p.m. on the 22nd (Sunday).
Team of Round – Anyang-Busan-Jeonnam ‘Bucheon’ ahead of tough three-game series
Bucheon is currently in fourth place with 53 points. It is three points shorter than third-place Gimpo, which played one game less than Bucheon. Below, fifth-ranked Gyeongnam (49 points), sixth-ranked Jeonnam (47 points), and seventh-ranked Chungbuk Cheongju (47 points) are trailing Bucheon. Depending on the performance of the remaining three games in the regular round, Bucheon can move directly to the K League playoffs in third place, but in the worst case, it could be pushed out of fifth place and fail to advance to the semi-playoff.
First of all, Anyang is my first opponent. Bucheon was particularly weak with one win, two draws and seven losses in the last 10 games against Anyang. They had a 2-2 draw in the last showdown of this season, and first of all, they escaped their fourth consecutive loss against Anyang. Next is Busan, the current number one. Busan is also expected to make all-out efforts in each round, with a difference of two points from second-place Gimcheon. The last opponent is Jeonnam. Both Bucheon and Jeonnam are teams seeking to advance to the K League 2 playoffs.
Bucheon is facing a rough three-game series, but there is good news. Ahn Jae-joon, the team’s leading scorer, who was transferred to the Asian Games, will join the team and play from the match against Anyang in this round. Bucheon and Anyang will meet at Bucheon Stadium at 4 p.m. on the 21st (Saturday) to see if Bucheon will be able to put the first button on the three consecutive games.
Cheonan striker Paulino led Cheonan to a 3-2 victory with two goals and one assist against Seongnam in the 23rd round. It was Cheonan’s first K-League 2 victory in his career. Paulino played in 15 games this season, scoring six goals and three assists, and was involved in nine of Cheonan’s 29 goals.
Cheonan currently has four wins, three of which were won by Paulino in the game where he scored offensive points. Indeed, Paulino is a player who expects to win for Cheonan.
Paulino has been showing off his fierce game sense with six offensive points (four goals and two assists) in the last five games. Whether Paulino, who has a fierce toe, will lead Cheonan to victory once again, the match between Cheonan and Seongnam will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, the 21st at Cheonan Stadium.