It's a Goalkeeper's Weekend - K League R13 Review
Some inspiration in between the sticks from a number of team's number 1's this weekend prevented more goals but they put on a show to take home the points for their teams
Usual weekend of controversial refereeing decisions that saw goals ruled out, red cards not given and penalties given. On the pitch there weren’t many classics with only one game having both teams scoring. The biggest winners of the weekend must go down to Gimcheon and Jeonbuk. While Daegu getting back to back wins for the first time this season was also noteworthy
Game of the Week
Gwangju FC 0-3 Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2.19 vs 1.6 Xg)
Gwangju FC hit the woodwork twice and had a ball cleared off the line (it certainly looked over). I would call the Jeonbuk pk that started the scoring as soft if even a foul, looking more like a dive to me while the home side had their own calls for a pk against Jeonbuk for handball waved away when there was cerainly a case. So, despite the huge win for Jeonbuk there was more than an element of luck to it. Song Min-kyu and Jeon Byung-kwan continue to be the team’s shining light this season, though Song went off with an injury which will be a concern for the away team. Gwangju have now hit the post or bar more than any other team (7)
Goal of the Round
Jeon Byung-kwan - The 21-year-old signing for Daejeon Hana Citizen continues to impress and spoke after the game about his desire to get called up to the national team and play abroad. His first here was a very good confident finish but his 2nd cutting in from the left was Son Heung-min-esque. While the media labelled it a wonder goal, which it was not, it was a very very good goal that gave the away side an unassailable lead.
Player of the Round
Jeon Byun-kwan, as above - this was his first double in his career and fourth of the season
FC Seoul 1-2 Daegu FC (1.24 vs 1.62 Xg)
Another disappointing home game for FC Seoul, making it 4 defeats in a row in front of another bumper crowd and with Jesse Lingard fit enough to start. As has been the case this season FC Seoul very much contributed to their own downfall with an own goal and a huge error by Paek Jong-beom who took a poor touch instead of passing it first time that led to a tap in for in form Park Yong-hui. Daegu got their first win over an opponent that wasn’t Gwangju FC and their first back to back wins of the season
MOM - Oh Seung-hoon (Daegu’s GK)
UP NEXT FC Seoul are away at league leaders Pohang Steelers in Kim Gi-dong’s return to the Steelyard while Daegu FC are at home to Gangwon FC.
Gangwon FC 1-0 Ulsan Hyundai (0.63 vs 1.63 Xg)
Back to back defeats are a rare thing for Ulsan, usually once a season if any, and the East Coast outfit have cause for complaint here with a Joo Min-kyu equaliser unjustly ruled out for either an unexistent push or an incorrect offside call on Eom Won-sang for interference. Ulsan had the majority of the chances and will blame themselves and an inspired Lee Gwang-yeon for the defeat. Yago Cariello’s spectacular long range low effort enough to win the game - only Gangwon’s 2nd ever win against Ulsan.
MOM Lee Gwang-yeon (Gangwon’s GK)
UP NEXT Ulsan are at home to Daejeon who they haven’t beaten since they came back up last year and Gangwon are away at Daegu
Suwon FC 1-0 Pohang Steelers (1.12 vs 1.71 Xg)
League leaders failed to capitalise on Ulsan HD’s defeat, as they often did last year, as they went down 1-0 to Suwon who of course waited until half time to bring on Lee Seung-woo who started the move that led to Anderson’s ball into Lee’s fellow HT sub Jeong Seung-won to bag the only goal of the game. Pohang piled on the pressure with Suwon FC playing with 4 centre backs but Jorge’s heading was once again off the mark while Lee Ho-jae was also wasteful - meaning there was to be no late show this time and their 11 game unbeaten run ends.
MOM Anderson/Ahn Jun-su (Suwon FC)
UP NEXT Suwon have the trip to the island next away to Jeju while Pohang face their old manager at home for the first time in Kim Gi-dong’s FC Seoul.
Daejeon Hana Citizen 0-1 Incheon United (1.46 vs 0.51 Xg)
Daejeon will feel a little hard done by with an inspired Min Seong-jun out to nail down a starter spot in the Incheon United goal. Tactical sub of Kim Seong-min for Mun Ji-hwan to match Daejeon proved vital as Mun was to get on the end of a Choi Woo-jin delicious corner to head in the only goal of the game. Daejeon came closest from a Ju Se-jong free kick and Min pulled off a double save from Anton late on. The defeat piles the pressure on Lee Min-sung as Daejeon now sit bottom of the league.
MOM Choi Woo-jin/Min Seong-jun (Incheon United)
UP NEXT Daejeon travel to Ulsan while Incheon have their first home game since the water bottle incident at home to Gwangju FC.
Gimcheon Sangmu 1-0 Jeju United (0.67 vs 0.8 Xg)
A closely fought contest was settled similarly to the Suwon FC game with a nice move soon after the HT break. That man again, Kim Tae-hyun, in almost a replica of his superb finish against Ulsan HD the game before, this time a little closer to goal bringing the home crowd to their feet. Jeju struggled to create although a Park Seung-wook backpass almost brought them level with Kim Jun-hong in the Gimcheon goal scrambling to clear it just in time.