FC Anyang has lost three consecutive games due to a series of injuries. Physically and mentally, the burden of leading Mercury is weighing on Anyang.
Anyang, which played the 34th round of Hana Bank’s K League 2 2024 at Yongin Mir Stadium on Sunday, lost to Suwon Samsung 0-1. With 54 points, Anyang remained atop by three points at a time when it played one less game than second-ranked Asan FC (51 points).
Anyang has made a strong march this season as if it had no opponent. Coach Yoo Byung-hoon has known the team well since 2021 as the head coach of Anyang, and has led Anyang’s rise in earnest. In the beginning of the season, he occasionally gave up the top spot to other teams, but as he entered May, he began to take the lead in earnest. At one point, it seemed like an iron fortress that other teams could never catch up with.
Recently, however, Anyang has started to falter. Coincidentally, the decline began against Suwon on Aug. 12. The only time Anyang had dropped points in succession was in early May, when it had two consecutive draws against Asan in South Chungcheong Province and Gimpo FC. However, after losing to Suwon 1-2 in August, it had 1-1 draws against Seongnam FC and Cheonan City FC.
The team garnered a 2-1 victory in each of the matches against Gimpo and Ansan Greeners, but suffered a bigger setback. The team lost three consecutive games: Seoul E-Land 0-1, Asan 0-1 in South Chungcheong Province, and Suwon 0-1. The result was painful in that Seoul E-Land, Asan in South Chungcheong Province, and Suwon were all competing for promotion. Currently, Anyang is three points clear of second-ranked Chungnam Asan, five points clear of fourth-ranked Seoul E-Land, and six points clear of sixth-ranked Suwon. Furthermore, the next game is Busan I-Park, which has flourished under coach Cho Sung-hwan. If things go awry, it could potentially yield the top spot.
Anyang’s recent sprain is due to the pressure. Even considering Anyang’s poor pace in the second half of the year, the decline is particularly strong this season. It is because keeping the lead came as more pressure. Coach Yoo met with reporters before the game and said, “Our goal was to advance to the playoffs for the first time, but we can’t easily let go of the burden as we continue to stay in the lead. It takes more power to keep it than to go up originally,” adding that everyone is struggling with this point.
Some players expressed excessive stress as a physical symptom. A case in point is Kim Jung-hyun, who was absent on the day. Recently, he had facial paralysis due to stress, and if he is not stabilized, it could develop into a bigger disease, so he took a break from this game. As the season continues with a six-point margin or less, players are also under stress.
In addition to the stress, players who have been running nonstop this season are also suffering from fatigue. As many as three players sat down in the match against Suwon, complaining of discomfort during the match. Given that none of them were accidents that occurred during the competition, injuries caused by fatigue are suspected. Starting with Kim Young-chan, who focused on defense in the 10th minute of the second half, Nicholas in the 20th minute of the second half, and Han Ga-ram in the 35th minute of the second half complained of pain. Han Ga-ram was in such poor condition that he had to be carried off on a stretcher.
The scene of the team’s loss is related to a series of injuries. Anyang struggled against Suwon whenever it fell into a numerical inferiority of 10 players due to the departure of the injured. At the 37th minute of the second half, Suwon won the competition without Hangaram and launched an attack by possessing the ball, which led to Peter’s winning goal. If there was one more defense, Kang might have been able to prepare well from the point when he took the ball away for the first time.
First of all, he vowed not to use injuries as an excuse. “I don’t want to use injuries as an excuse. I should have prepared for muscle problems of the players,” he said in a post-match press conference. “Since it’s not enough for me, I will make sure to improve the next game through meetings and training.”
Rather than avoiding it, I will also face and overcome the burden of winning the championship,” coach Yoo said. “We should not avoid this situation, we should face and fight to win. During the break period of the A-match, we will manage psychological aspects and burden. We cannot afford to feel pressured. However, we will minimize the burden and encourage them to make the management of the game less urgent. We need to prepare like that to overcome the current situation.” 안전놀이터
With five games left in the league, Anyang is on the verge of a three-game losing streak. In addition, there are injuries from all positions. Fortunately, if the injury is not serious due to the A-match break, some may come back. However, if they lose the match against Busan, they will cross the river that is irreversible. So far, Anyang has an advantageous position, but it may be overturned now. To not do that, we need to improve our tactics to break through three scoreless games and overcome the burden of winning the championship. Only then will we be able to meet the day when we will wield the sword that we have been waiting for.