K League Preview: Nakdong River Derby – Gyeongnam FC Unlocks New Offensive Corridors, Busan IPark’s Manager Change Brings Positive Impact

At 18:30 on July 23, in the 24th round of the K2 League, Busan IPark will host Gyeongnam FC at home.

This match is the 50th “Nakdong River Derby” in K League history. Busan IPark has a record of 18 wins, 9 draws, and 23 losses against Gyeongnam FC, placing them at a disadvantage. In their first meeting this season, Gyeongnam lost 1-4 at home to Busan.

The home team, Busan IPark, won their last game against Jeonnam Dragons, who had been unbeaten in their previous 11 matches and were in excellent form, marking a successful start for their new manager. The most significant change for the team recently has undoubtedly been the managerial switch. Park Jin-Seob stepped down, and Jo Sung-Wan became the new head coach. Jo Sung-Wan led Jeju United to a league runner-up finish and also took Incheon United to the AFC Champions League stage for the first time in the club’s history. He has his own philosophy when it comes to employing a three-at-the-back system and managing the team. According to Korean media reports, after Jo Sung-Wan took over, “the players’ eyes changed,” and the whole team is looking forward to a turnaround. Although the team is currently only in seventh place in the standings, they are just one point away from the fifth position, which is the “passing mark” for the promotion-relegation playoff spots.

In terms of personnel, the team recently released Lopez and An Byeong-Joon, who are past their prime, and brought in Sato Yūhei and Kang Ji-Hun to reinforce the midfield and flanks. The return of long-term injury absentee Jo Wee-Gi is good news for the team’s defense.

Notably, Busan IPark has shown a “home jinx” this season. It remains to be seen whether the team can leverage the momentum of two consecutive away victories to break the “home jinx” curse.

The visiting team, Gyeongnam FC, has had a poor season, mainly due to a significant decline in the quality of their foreign players. Therefore, the team went on a signing spree during the summer transfer window in hopes of turning around their fortunes. Australian import Lachlan Wales quickly settled into his role, and he and center-forward Park Dong-Chin have scored in two consecutive games. Highly anticipated new foreign player Sarráibar has already made his debut, and another new foreign player, Fonseca, is ready to play.

A bad piece of news is that U-20 international Lee Jun-Jae is suspended and will definitely miss this game. Veteran Yuk Joo-Sung is expected to start instead.

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