10-man Anyang hang on for valuable three points | OneFootball

FC Anyang survived an early red card to record a potentially decisive 2-1 victory over Ansan Greeeners on Saturday night.  The victory pushes Anyang nine points clear before Tuesday's title decider in Mokdong.

FC Anyang 2 (Kim Dong-jin 34', Yago 58')

Ansan Greeners 1 (Park Jun-bae 48')

The roar that greeted the final whistle told its own story. FC Anyang are now nine points clear with matches running out in their quest for a first-ever promotion to K League 1. Based on what we've seen thus far, no one could deny the Violets their reward but this was a very tough outing against decent opposition.

Ansan started well and must have fancied their chances when Nicholas was stupidly red-carded halfway through the first half. The new signing was given a yellow for an elbow three minutes before headbutting his opponent on the edge of the Ansan area. Seconds before losing control, Nicholas was seen arguing with Ansan's players.

But Matheus and Yago provided enough guile in his absence, Kim Jung-hyun was sensational in midfield, and Kim Da-sol was heroic between the sticks. When the season concludes in November, with Anyang hosting Gyeongnam, they may look back on these three points as the moment that ended the race.

They rode their luck throughout, as most good teams do. Crucial to this victory was scoring the opening goal completely against the run of play moments after going down to 10 men. And when Ansan pulled one back in the second half, it was down to the combined brilliance of Kim Jung-hyun, Matheus, and Yago that Anyang retook the lead.

The entire team will owe a huge debt of gratitude to their goalkeeper, Kim Da-sol. Kim is a veteran, playing out most of his career in K League 2, but he made a string of important saves at the end of both halves. It is unlikely the Violets would have prevailed here today with the instrumental goalkeeper.

Nicholas, playing just his fifth game since joining Anyang, was sent off with 24 minutes played, for an off-the-ball challenge next to the Ansan box. The big Brazilian was shown a yellow card for an elbow three minutes before his red. He was lucky to stay on the field following the first challenge. In between that, he was fouled close to halfway and grabbed the referee’s shorts demanding a yellow card for the offender.

Perhaps feeling the pressure for a string of lackluster performances since replacing the popular Danrlei, Nicholas was fired up after the yellow card on 21 minutes and looked to have lost all control for the four minutes that followed. He first lashed out with his boot and then looked to make contact with Jang Yoon-seob's head. It was unclear from our vantage point if Nicholas was shown a straight red for a headbutt or a second yellow, but either way, his night was over.

This now means it is five matches without a goal or an assist for the new number nine, stats a title-chasing team simply can’t afford from a new signing.

Nicholas’ red meant Matheus was asked to play the role of lone striker for the remainder of the half, as Anyang looked to consolidate what they had. Before the red, the home team hadn’t registered a single shot on goal as Ansan controlled 70% of the possession.

And it was the diminutive Matheus who created the game’s first goal on 36 minutes. Ansan appealed for a foul on the far touchline as Anyang took a quick throw in. Matheus was in acres of space but instead of shooting, he picked out the marauding Kim Dong-jin to his right. The captain slotted home unmarked from eight yards and Anyang had a lead they didn’t deserve.

You could see what it meant to Matheus, especially, as the Brazilian sprinted away in wild, solo celebrations as his teammates swarmed the captain on the turf.

Matheus, arguably, wasted the game’s best chance on the stroke of half-time. Played through by Yago, the number 7 sprinted clear of the chasing Ansan defense to leave him essentially one-on-one with Lee Seung-bin. Despite being on his favored left peg, Mathus inexplicably turned inside to find the supporting Yago. His teammate was off-balance as he shot, and the chance went.

In reality, Anyang owed their halftime lead to the brilliance of their veteran goalkeeper, Kim Da-sol. Kim pulled off a string of important saves throughout the opening half, particularly in a phase of play immediately before Matheus’ breakaway. Anyang held on to the break.

That lead didn’t last long. Whatever message the Anyang management told their players about staying tight in the first 10 minutes, it didn’t work. Striker Park Jun-bae pounced in the 48th minute to score his third of the campaign. Park turned on the edge of his box and placed a beautiful left-footed shot away from the outstretched arms of Kim Da-sol into the bottom corner. There was nothing the keeper could do. It was a superb finish and fully deserved.

Anyang retook the lead with a goal that needs to be seen to be believed. It began with Kim Jung-hyun playing Yago through with a sumptuous pass. Goalkeeper Lee Seung-bin got to the bouncing ball first, heading it into Matheus’ path. The attacker took two touches and with the keeper in no man’s land, his effort came back off the post. Yago followed up and was on hand to smash home the game’s third goal.

Ansan protested the legitimacy of the goal, much like the first. They claimed Yago used his arm to collect Kim’s over-the-top ball but replays clearly showed the goal was good. Again, the celebrations were unbridled joy from the home end. That was Matheus’ last major action, as he was replaced with 23 minutes to play. It was a truly great shift from Matheus after the early red card.

Jeong Yong-hee, a second-half replacement, came close to picking up a red of his own for a rash tackle midway through the half. Anyang appealed but VAR told the referee there was nothing to review.

Kim Da-sol pulled off his best save of the match nine minutes from time when Kim Young-nam’s free-kick was beautifully curled over the wall but Kim covered the ground to parry the free out for a corner. It was one of those days from the former Suwon and Jeonnam stopper.

By now, Anyang were hanging on with dear life. Every cross, every shot, every counter, was met with sighs from those around me. When the home side cleared, the relief was palpable. The clock wound down incredibly slowly and the fourth official announced six additional minutes. The tension was clear for all to see.

But hang on they did. The fans were on their feet long before the final whistle but when the referee blew the game, the collective roar was incredible. Can Anyang begin to dream?

Line ups

FC Anyang:

(31) Kim Da-sol; (5) Kim Young-chan, (6) Park Jeong-hyeon, (22) Kim Dong-jin (c), (32) Lee Tae-hee; (8) Kim Jung-hyun, (37) Ri Yong-jik, (7) Matheus Oliviera, (10) Yago, (71) Chae Hyeon-woo; (9) Nicolas.

Substitutes: (1) Lee Yoon-ho, (99) Joo Hyun-woo (94) Han Eui-gwon, (28) Moon Seong-woo, (44) Yachida, (13) Han Ga-ram, (17) Yoo Jeong-wan.

Ansan Greeners:

(1) Lee Seung-bin; (4) Jang Yoon-seob, (10) Kim Yeong-nam (c), (20) Kim Jeong-ho; (33) Lee Taek-geun, (36) Kim Tae-gyeong, (7) Choi Han-seol, (28) Lee Ji-seung; (12) An Sae-young, (19) Park Jun-bae, (9) Kim Do-yoon.

Substitutes: (31) Joo Hyeon-seong, (2) Kim Ki-hwan, (11) Kang Soo-il, (99) Kim Woo-bin, (13) Kim Jin-hyeon, (16) Jeong Yeong-hee, (26) Han Young-hoon.

The fans

Readers in Korea will be fully aware of how quickly and dramatically the temperatures dropped in the space of two days. From a late summer's night on Thursday to the unmistakable feeling of autumn on Saturday. I'm sure both sets of players and supporters appreciated the cooler weather conditions.

Just a shade over 4,000 were in attendance. Ansan, disappointingly, brought no more than 200 for a derby match just up line 4. The media box position at Anyang Stadium means we couldn't hear a peep from them as we're so close to the Anyang fans behind the goal. They were as loud and boisterous as ever.

[LISTEN: The Ansan Greeners Podcast]

FC Anyang have a potential title decider this Tuesday (7:30 PM) against Seoul E-Land in Mokdong. Even though Jeonnam Dragons held onto 2nd spot for what seemed like an eternity, this always had the feel of the real championship decider. Anyang have won both clashes this season 2-1, so if ever Seoul needed a victory over their neighbors down the cheon, this is it.

Ansan Greeners will also be back in action at 7:30 PM this coming Tuesday. They host playoff-chasing Chungbuk Cheongju at Wa~ Stadium. Anyang's record against the relatively new Cheongju is derisory; played five, lost 4, and drew 1. That solitary draw came in Wa earlier this season. The Wolves hope to finally register a first league win against Choi Yoon-kyum's men.

Best player: Kim Da-solAttendance: 4,361