Suwon FC and Jeonbuk Hyundai will face off in the second round of Hana Bank K League 1 2024 at Suwon Stadium at 2 p.m. on the 9th. 안전놀이터
Suwon FC made a good start by winning 1-0 with Lee Seung-woo's theater penalty in the extra time of the second half after holding out with a strong defense in the opening round away match against Incheon United.
On the other hand, Jeonbuk was dragged away by giving up the first run to Gutek early in the first half in the home opener against Daejeon Hana Citizen, but Ahn Hyun-beom's equalizer in the second half tied the score at 1-1, continuing its 13-game unbeaten streak in the home opener.
Last year, Jeonbuk had two wins and one loss as it met Suwon FC three times. It lost 0-1 in away matches of Suwon FC in April last year, but won 3-1 and 1-0 in their two showdowns in May and July, respectively.
Jeonbuk, which is entering its first full season under Petrescu, has been selected as a candidate for the title again ahead of this season, having successfully strengthened its power in large numbers. It recruited Lee Jae-ik and Kim Tae-hwan, as well as an attacking duo of Thiago and Hernandez, and also recruited Vinicius, a Brazilian striker who played in the Colombian league, to make sure it strengthened its power in offense and defense.
However, at the first leg of the AFC Champions League's round of 16 strongest teams against the Pohang Steelers on Feb. 24, his team failed to display normal performance after a complete 2-0 win. Hernandez, the hero of the team's first goal in the 2024 season, failed to return from injury, leaving a hole in his offense capability again.
Hernández left the team after the first leg against Pohang due to a biceps injury in his left thigh. After returning to team training ahead of the opening match against Daejeon Hana Citizen, Hernández again injured the same area, resulting in a fatal diagnosis of being sidelined for up to six weeks.
On top of that, Lee Dong-joon, who had induced one assist and a penalty kick in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal against Ulsan HD, also briefly left the battlefield after feeling something wrong with his body after the first half of the match. It is uncertain whether he will participate in Suwon FC's away game.
The role of side strikers or fullbacks is important in Jeonbuk's style of skipping the central space and creating opportunities with crosses from the side. There are many destructive players on the side, including Kim Tae-hwan, Lee Dong-joon, Ahn Hyun-beom and Kim Jin-soo, but in the end, more points can follow Jeonbuk only when Thiago or Song Min-gyu link these opportunities to score more points in the front.
Jeonbuk, in particular, scored the first goal in the match against Ulsan and tried to end the game with a flow of defense in the second half, but Jung Tae-wook's mistake, which came only once in the 32nd minute of the second half, led to a loss to Lee Myung-jae, leading to a disappointing 1-1 draw. With Hong Jung-ho also injured, it is difficult to say that Jeonbuk's defense is stable early in the season.
On the other hand, Suwon FC was nowhere to be seen losing 80 runs, including the promotion playoffs in the 2023 season, as Kim Eun-joong joined the team and Kwon Kyung-won, a former national defender.
Coach Kim has been recognized for his strong defense and rapid change of attack that he displayed at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina, spearheading Korea's advance to the semifinals for two consecutive tournaments. After being assigned to Suwon FC, the team that lost the most points in the history of the K-League 1, Kim has completely improved its physical constitution.
Suwon FC got down to the back five, and on top of that, the midfielders also held out with four players keeping a narrow gap and maintained it well until the end of the second half.
In the second half, Andersson and Lee Seung-woo were deployed to seek a counterattack, and as a result, they were able to bring about a victory with a penalty kick. Suwon FC's shooting came after the 31st minute of the second half, except for Jeong Seung-won's shooting in the fourth minute of the first half.
The fact that Lee Seung-woo scored a goal from the opening game and boosted his performance early also makes Jeonbuk nervous. Lee is full of motivation to return to the national team. If he scores a goal in the match against Jeonbuk, he will be more likely to join the entry team.
Attention is focusing on how Jeonbuk's current strikers will be able to play a decisive role in front of the goal against Suwon FC, which locks the center tightly, and whether Suwon FC will be able to succeed in winning two consecutive games by succeeding in attacking the back space of Jeonbuk's defense like Incheon.