Cheju United beat Anyang 2-0 in the K-League 1 Regular Season on Saturday at the Jeju Municipal Stadium. Shin Sang-Eun opened the scoring just before half-time and added a second moment later, while Yu In-Soo struck after the restart to put the hosts in control. The result moves Cheju United closer to the upper half of the table, where they currently sit in eighth place with 24 points from 19 games.
The first goal came in the 45th minute when Shin Sang-Eun found the net, and he doubled his tally in the 45+1 minute before the interval. Yu In-Soo then made it 2-0 in the 51st minute, and by then Anyang had little to offer going forward. Shin Sang-Eun was substituted in the 60th minute alongside Matheus Aias, and the visitors struggled to respond.
And here's the thing about the statistics: possession was even at 50 per cent for both sides, but the shots tell a different story. Cheju United registered four shots on target from seven off target, while Anyang had four on target from just two off target. The visitors had more attacks at 76 compared to 63, yet they managed only one corner to Cheju's one.
To be fair, Anyang have been difficult to beat recently with nine draws from 19 matches, but they lost their last two outings against Daegu FC and Ulsan Hyundai. Cheju United, meanwhile, have won three of their last five games including a 3-1 victory over Cheonbuk Motors on August 8. The contrast in form showed through on the day.
Discipline was an issue for the hosts with four yellow cards, including one for Woon Jeong in the 36th minute and Chang-yong Lee in the 87th. Anyang's Julien Celestine received a booking in the 69th minute, and Emerson Ramon was cautioned shortly after in the 71st minute. The match ended with Chang-jun Park going offside for the second time in the game.
Cheju United now move within three points of sixth-placed Anyang, who remain on 27 points. The gap between them and the top four has narrowed, and the hosts will fancy their chances of pushing into the upper ranks. With five matches remaining, every point matters in this tight contest.
