Anyang fall to second-half collapse against Daejeon
Anyang lost 1:2 to Daejeon Hana Citizen in the K-League 1, a result that leaves them six places above their visitors in the table despite a respectable record. The hosts took an early lead through Joo Min-Kyu in the seventeenth minute, but then let the game slip from their feet. By then, Daejeon had already shown they could compete, and the second half confirmed it. They moved to ninth place with 20 points, while Anyang remain on 27 from 19 matches.
The opening goal came from Joo Min-Kyu, who found space and finished clinically. Anyang kept their advantage until the fortieth minute, when Anton Krivotsyuk equalised for the visitors. To be fair, Daejeon had been the more dangerous side all afternoon, even if the scoreboard told a different story. They registered 96 attacks to Anyang's 67, and their shots on target were twice as accurate.
And here's the thing about this match: it wasn't decided by possession or territory. It was decided in the sixtieth minute, when Lee Chang-Yong put Daejeon ahead. Anyang had pulled back to 48 per cent possession by then, but their shots lacked conviction. Six on target, three out of ten accurate — a poor return for a team that wanted to hold onto their lead.
The yellow cards piled up after that, a sign of nerves rather than aggression. Kang Yun-Sung, Kim Bong-Soo, Matheus Oliveira, and M. Ishida all received bookings, none of them for anything particularly cynical. The substitutions followed, with both managers looking for a response. Anyang brought on Blaise Tsague and Choi Geon-Joo, while Daejeon sent on G. Ludwigson and M. Ishida.
What matters most is the gap in the table now. Anyang sit sixth with 27 points, Daejeon ninth with 20. Both sides have played 19 games, but the visitors' loss record of seven defeats is a concern. They've drawn eight times, which is better than their four wins suggest. Anyang, meanwhile, have only lost four matches all season.
The recent form doesn't help either side. Anyang lost 1:3 to Ulsan Hyundai on their last outing, while Daejeon beat Gwangju 2:0. Neither team has been consistent, and this result doesn't change much for either. But Daejeon at least have momentum, and Anyang have another setback to live with.
Shots accuracy tells the story more clearly than possession. Daejeon hit 62 per cent of their shots on target, Anyang 30. The visitors won 8:6 in shots on target, and two of those found the net. It's not a lot of chances, but they took them when it mattered.
Anyang will have to regroup quickly. They have a home fixture coming up, and the supporters will expect more than a second-half collapse. Daejeon have work to do too, but at least they know how to win when it counts.