K-League 2’s Busan I-Park is down to its final game of the season to decide whether or not it will make the playoffs (PO). A win will see the club advance to the semi-POs and hopefully earn promotion to the top division, the K-League 1, while a draw or loss will leave them looking forward to next year.
Busan will play their 39th round home match against Bucheon FC 1995 at Gudeok Stadium in Busan on the afternoon of the 9th. The match will be the final regular season match for both teams. The outcome of the match will also determine Busan’s participation in the Semi-Po playoffs for promotion to the First Division. Currently, Busan is in sixth place with 53 points. The only other team in the 13-team K-League 2 that has played all of its matches is 토토사이트 모음 Suwon Samsung Bluewings, which sits in fourth place with 56 points.
Suwon came from behind to win 2-1 at home against Ansan Greeners at Yongin Mir Stadium on March 3 to improve to 15 wins, 11 draws and 10 losses this season. Suwon conceded the first goal to Ansan’s Kim Young-nam in the 10th minute of the second half, but Bae Seo-joon equalized in the 18th minute with a left-footed shot after coming on as a substitute. In the 29th minute, Cho Yoon-seong headed in a corner kick from Paulinho to give Suwon the lead and keep their hopes of advancing to the semifinals alive.
Fourth through sixth places could be up for grabs depending on the outcome of the final match of the day between Busan and Bucheon, fifth-place Jeonnam Dragons (54 points) and Seoul Eland FC. Busan, who must finish in the top five to qualify for the semi-finals, must beat Bucheon to claim three points. If Busan beats Bucheon and Jeonnam also wins against Irand, Busan, which is ahead of Suwon on goal difference, will finish fifth behind fourth-place Jeonnam and qualify for the semifinals. If Busan wins and Jeonnam draws or loses, Busan’s ranking rises to fourth. On the other hand, if Busan draws or loses to Bucheon, they will also miss out on the Semi-Po.
Bucheon is currently in eighth place in the league with 49 points. The head-to-head record between Busan and Bucheon this season is 1-1, with Busan leading. Busan defeated Bucheon 3-1 away from home in the eighth round on April 13 at Bucheon Sports Complex, and the two teams played to a 2-2 draw at home in the 21st round on July 6 at Gudeok Stadium. Bucheon hasn’t won any of its last five matches, drawing four and losing one. Busan, on the other hand, escaped a two-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over Cheonan City FC at the Cheonan Stadium on April 2.
Busan took the lead in the fourth minute when Son Hwi’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Park Joo-won, and Mlapa quickly converted the rebound. Cheonan took the lead in the 14th minute when Motta equalized with a chip shot after receiving a low, quick pass. Busan took the lead again in the 22nd minute. Pesin rattled the net with a left-footed shot after a solo breakaway to make it 2-1 at the half.
Three minutes into the second half, Cheonan’s Motta headed home a cross from Lee Ji-hoon to equalize and add his 16th goal of the season. However, 13 minutes into the second half, Busan took a 3-2 lead when Pesin scored again off a pass from Lee Jung. Busan later had a goal disallowed due to a handball call on an attempt to score an additional goal, but the game ended with a 3-2 Busan victory, increasing their chances of advancing to the POs.
“The team’s victory against Cheonan has greatly boosted the players’ mood, even though they were missing their main players due to injuries in the recent match,” said an official from Busan IPark. ”Coach Cho Sung-hwan is also focused on the last match and is doing everything he can to win.”
Meanwhile, FC Anyang won the K League 2 title and secured promotion to the K League 1 11 years after its founding. Anyang’s 0-0 draw with Bucheon on Feb. 2 secured the title with 62 points, regardless of the remaining matches. Bucheon head coach Yoo Byung-hoon, who took charge for the first time this season, proved his leadership skills by leading the club to promotion in his debut season. Anyang’s promotion will set up an “old rivalry” with FC Seoul in K League 1 in the 2025 season.