Gangwon FC will be looking for their first win away to Gwangju.
Kangwon, led by head coach Yoon Jeong-hwan, will host Gwangju FC in the second round of the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at the Gwangju Football Stadium. Gangwon drew 1-1 with Jeju United in their opening match, while Gwangju won 2-0 against 카지노사이트 FC Seoul.
Gwangju, who broke out last season with a third-place finish, is one of the league’s most exciting teams this season. Under the direction of Lee Jung-hyo, one of the best coaches in the K League right now, the team has clearly established itself as a team that plays attractive soccer. Despite the departure of some of their key players, including Lee Sun-min and Aaron (Daejeon, Korea), they still looked strong in their opening game, beating powerhouse Seoul.
Gangwon also struggled against Gwangju last season. They didn’t win a single game, drawing two and losing one. It’s an unwelcome opponent for Gangwon, who are looking for their first win. On top of that, some of their key players are currently out of action due to injury, including Hankyoung and Kim Young-bin. It won’t be an easy game for Gangwon.
The keyword for Gwangju is ‘pressure’. Gwangju is a team that is adept at breaking away from opponents’ pressure with strong forward pressure and organic passing plays based on endless switching of players. Lee Sang-heon and Vitor Gabriel, who will be deployed up front, will need to be more aggressive in pressing, while at the same time creating build-ups to escape Gwangju’s pressure.
In the last match against Jeju, Kangwon often used left-footed midfielder Lee Ki-hyuk at left center back to try to play long passes, and accurate long passes can be a weapon to overcome Gwangju’s pressure. Especially since Gwangju doesn’t drop their line, accurate long passes into the opponent’s backline can be a weapon against Gwangju’s pressure.
Utilizing set pieces is also important. Set pieces are the best chance for the weaker team to score against the stronger team. Against Jeju, Kangwon tried a variety of set-piece tactics, but unfortunately, none of them led to threatening chances. However, the pattern itself caught the opponent off guard, so if they execute the tactics as prepared, they should be able to create good chances.