The 2020 edition of Korean League kicked-off with victories for Jeonbuk, Ulsan, Seongnam, Pohang and Gangwon. The Round 2 action begins from 16th May. We preview the three matches scheduled for Saturday.
Sangju vs Gangwon
Sangju suffered a crushing 4-0 defeat at the hands of Ulsan in their opening match. They conceded a goal within the first ten minutes and conceded a penalty just before half-time.
The newly-promoted Gangwon came back from a goal down to clinch a memorable 3-1 win over Seoul, who finished third last season. Ji-Hyeon Kim (FWD) struck the equaliser, while Jae-wan Jo (FWD) scored the winner, and Seung-dae Kim (FWD) added a third.
The Key Players
Sangju
Kyung-won Kwon (DEF): Though Sanju conceded four goals against Ulsan, Kyung-won impressed with five clearances and two successful blocks and interceptions.
Sang-uh Kang (DEF): The left-back produced two attacking crosses and drawn two fouls against Ulsan.
Seok-jong Han (MID): The 27-year-old won three successful tackles and drawn four free-kicks against Ulsan.
Min-hyeok Kim (MID): Min-hyeok had 90% passing accuracy, the highest by a Sangju player against Ulsan.
Gangwon
Kwang-hun Shin (DEF): The right-back’s cross led to Gangwon’s opening goal in the season, and he added another attacking cross in the match.
Chae-min Im (DEF): Despite giving away four free-kicks, Chae-min made six clearances and had more than 90% passing accuracy.
Guk-Yeong Han (MID): The defensive midfielder had a 91.14% passing accuracy and assisted Gangwon’s third goal.
Yeong-jae Lee (MID): Yeong-jae made three successful tackles and had the highest passing accuracy among Gangwon players – 93.62%.
Seung-dae Kim (FWD): The 29-year-old scored a goal and grabbed an assist against Seoul.
Ji-Hyeon Kim (FWD): Hyeon came on as a substitute in the first-half injury time, and scored a goal within six minutes after the restart.
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Daegu vs Pohang
Daegu had to settle for a goalless draw against last season’s tenth-placed Incheon in Round 1. Despite creating plenty of chances in the second half, Daegu was unable to break the deadlock.
Pohang made a winning start to their 2020 Korean League campaign thanks to goals from Stanislav Iljutcenko (FWD) and Aleksandar Paločević (MID). Iljutcenko scored from a header, while Paločević converted a penalty.
The Key Players
Daegu
Jeong-un Hong (DEF): The 25-year-old was brilliant against Pohang. He made four interceptions, two successful tackles, and two clearances.
Tae-uk Jeong (DEF): Jenong-un’s centre-back partner made the most clearances in the match – 4.
Seon-Min Kim (MID): The midfielder had the highest passing accuracy in the match – 96%.
Jin-Hyun Lee (MID): Jin-Hyun made two successful interceptions and drawn two fouls against Incheon.
Cesinha (MID): The Brazilian drew four fouls and made two attacking crosses.
Pohang
Yong-Hwan Kim (DEF): The right-back was one of the best defenders from Round 1. He kept Busan defenders at bay, provided an assist, and produced three attacking crosses.
Kwang–seok Kim (DEF): Kwang-seok made eight clearances, the most in the match, and four interceptions.
Chang-rae Ha (DEF): The centre-back made seven clearances and had a passing accuracy of 84.38%.
Aleksandar Palocevic (MID): The Serbian scored a goal and registered two shots on target.
Stanislav Iljutcenko (FWD): Iljutcenko struck the opening goal and came close twice.
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Busan vs Jeonbuk
Busan was blanked 2-0 by Pohang in their first match in the new Korean League season. The visitors conceded a goal before the half-hour mark and conceded a penalty in the second half.
The defending champions Jeonbuk secured a dramatic victory in their first match of the season. Veteran striker Dong–gook Lee scored the winner in the 84th minute.
The Key Players
Busan
Mun-hwan Kim (DEF): Mun-hwan made four interceptions, two successful tackles, and had a passing accuracy of 93.48% against Pohang.
Min-Su Kang (DEF): The centre-back made four clearances and two successful blocks.
Rômulo (MID): The Brazilian was Busan’s best player on the pitch against Pohang. He made two interceptions and registered Busan’s only shot on target.
Dong–jun Lee (FWD): The 23-year-old drew four fouls and won two tackles.
Jeonbuk
Bo–Kyung Choi (DEF): The centre-back was rock-solid against Suwon. He had a passing accuracy of 93.85%.
Yong Lee (DEF): Yong won three successful tackles and made three interceptions in the 2020 Korean League opener.
Jun-ho Son (MID): Jun-ho set up the winning goal against Suwon. He drew three fouls and made two successful interceptions.
Murilo Henrique (MID): The Brazilian had a busy day against Suwon. He produced three attacking crosses, had one shot on target, and passing accuracy was 87%.
Seung-ki Lee (MID): The central midfielder registered the highest passing accuracy – 94.23% – in the Jeonbuk-Suwon match.