FC Anyang has clinched its first promotion in its history.
Anyang won 2-1 against Ansan Greeners in the 31st round of the Hana Bank K League 2 2024 at the Anyang Sports Complex on the 21st. It was a dramatic victory. Anyang, who were without their ‘captain’ Lee Chang-yong, formed a three-back centered around Kim Jung-hyun. Anyang, who were looking to attack on the counterattack, suffered a setback in the 24th minute when frontline striker Nicholas was sent off for accumulating cautions. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Anyang remained strong. In the 34th minute, a clever throw-in found Mateus, and Kim Dong-jin scored the game’s first goal off a pass from Mateus. They conceded an equalizer to Park Jun-bae three minutes into the second half, but scored the game-winner 13 minutes into the second half on a counterattack. After Mateus’ shot hit the post, 토토 Yago slotted it home. Kim Da-sol made the save to secure the three valuable points.
With the victory, Anyang moved to 54 points on the season and extended their lead over second-place Seoul Eland (45 points) to nine points. With eight games remaining, that’s a pretty big gap. Anyang has been in crisis lately. They haven’t won a game since August. Back-to-back 1-1 draws against bottom two clubs, Seongnam FC and Cheonan City, were particularly damaging. In the meantime, Seoul Eland had been surging at a frightening pace.
In September, things changed. An away match against Gimpo FC on the 15th was the turning point. On the 14th, Lee Land defeated Chungbuk Cheongju to pull within three points. If they couldn’t catch Gimpo, the crisis could accelerate. After a difficult game, Anyang breathed a sigh of relief with a dramatic 2-1 victory thanks to Chae Hyun-woo’s goal in second-half stoppage time. In the following match against Ansan, the team took advantage of a man being sent off to secure the victory and further increase their point difference. It is especially encouraging that the team has recovered its ‘winning mentality’.
Anyang, which was transformed under head coach Yoo Byung-hoon ahead of this season, has finally gotten its chance. The team showed its power from the beginning by playing “bud football,” which means “colors that gather and unfold freely and faster than others in game situations, like flower buds gathering and unfolding, and throwing opponents into confusion. Anyang, which took the top spot in April, lost the lead once or twice, but held on to it. Since June 2, they have been in first place for nearly four months. Even in the midst of the chaos of the mid-tier, where the rankings changed every round, Anyang remained steadfast. There have been crises, such as the loss of key striker Dan Lei to injury, but the team hasn’t lost its grip on the top spot under the leadership of inexperienced coach Yu. A win over Ansan will take them to the top of the 8th Division.
There is one last variable. It’s a match against Iland at Mokdong Sports Complex on the 24th. A win here would virtually guarantee them promotion to the ninth division. The four-game lead (12 points) is not easy to overturn given the number of games remaining. However, if they lose, they will have to wait until the end to see what happens. Busan I-Park also missed out on promotion last season, as they were under pressure. For Anyang, who have yet to be promoted, the pressure of a last-minute chase could be even greater.