The final 90 minutes will decide the fate of both teams
Suwon FC surviving in dramatic fashion and Busan I-Park returning to the top flight after four years. One or the other can’t happen. The final 90 minutes will decide the fate of both teams.
Suwon FC and Busan I-Park will meet in the second leg of the Hana One Q K League 2023 Promotion Playoffs (PO) at the Suwon Sports Complex at 2 p.m. on Sept. 9. In the first leg, Busan came from behind to win 2-1.
The team with the advantage is the ‘challenger’ Busan. In the first leg at home, Busan conceded an early goal to Jang Jae-woong in the 42nd minute. The team was in trouble as they were unable to capitalize on their early pressure.
In the 35th minute of the second half, as the game was nearing its end, the second half began. Suwon FC’s Lee Seung-woo fouled Lee Seung-ki in the box and was awarded a penalty kick. On top of that, Lee Seung-woo, who had already been cautioned, received a second yellow card and was sent off. Ramas stepped up to the spot kick and tied the game at 1-1 with a powerful shot.
Eight minutes of second-half added time.
Just before the end of the match, Busan was awarded another penalty kick. Kim Jung-hwan earned a foul by diving into the box. Ramas stepped up to take the kick, and he neatly rattled the net to give Busan a thrilling comeback win.
For Suwon FC, they must somehow bounce back at home. If they can’t overturn the 1-2 score, their first drop to the second tier in four years will be a reality. 온라인카지노 Suwon FC narrowly avoided direct relegation by drawing 1-1 with Jeju in the final game of the season, but the shadow of relegation looms large once again.
The problem is the absence of ‘ace’ Lee Seung-woo. He was on fire last season with 14 goals and three assists, and has led the team’s offense again this season with 10 goals and three assists. Even in the first leg, he showed off his sharpness, hitting the post with a left-footed curling kick.
However, Lee made his most costly mistake when it mattered most. Aside from conceding a penalty, the fact that he was sent off for the second leg was a huge blow. Lee Seung-woo’s first caution in the 31st minute for unnecessary nerves could have been the difference between Suwon FC and Busan. If Suwon FC kneels down to Busan, they will fall into the second division alongside Suwon Samsung.
Busan, on the other hand, has an 86% chance.
Looking back at the history of K League promotion POs, six out of the seven teams that won the first leg went on to become winners. In simple probability terms, that’s a whopping 86%. Busan crossed the 9th division ridge.
More importantly, the team overcame the shock of missing out on the title with a first-round victory. Busan was in first place with 69 points (20 wins, 9 draws, and 6 losses) just before the final round of K League 2. With a win in their final game, they could have overtaken second-place Gimcheon Sangmu to win the title and gain direct promotion. However, Busan conceded a late equalizer from Chungbuk Cheongju in stoppage time and missed out on the trophy.
Busan was devastated. However, they managed to pull off an upset win against K League 1 Suwon FC and stabilize the team’s shaky mood. Now, Busan is determined to finish the remaining 90 minutes of the match well to erase the pain of slipping out of the promotion PO in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018.
Meanwhile, Suwon FC and Busan tasted the pain of relegation and the joy of promotion in 2020, respectively. Three years later, the two teams are facing off for one of the remaining K League 1 spots. Will it be the same as three years ago or different this time?