Asan, South Chungcheong Province, which won its first championship of the season, aims to win consecutive games in the Chungcheong Derby.
Chungcheongnam-do Asan will play the fourth round of the “Hana Bank K League 2 2024” against Chungcheongbuk-do Province’s Cheongju Stadium at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Chungcheongnam-do Asan ranks fifth with four points (1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss), while Chungcheongbuk-do Province’s Cheongju ranks first with seven points (2 wins and 1 draw).
Starting under coach Kim Hyun-suk, Asan started the season with a 1-2 loss to Suwon Samsung in the first round. It was regrettable that the team lost even when Cho was outnumbered. South Chungcheong Asan, which drew 1-1 with Bucheon FC 1995, won 2-1 in an away match against Gyeongnam FC. It drew much attention as it beat former coach Park Dong-hyuk’s first win over Gyeongnam.
Victory in the match against Gyeongnam was meaningful for Asan in South Chungcheong Province. As the team was under criticism for being embroiled in a controversy over uniform color at the match against Bucheon, failing to win again could have unsettled the team. Veteran Lee Hak-min led the team, and promising players Chung Ma-ho and Shin Song-hoon, who are expected of Asan in South Chungcheong Province, performed well, and were able to capture Gyeongnam and set the mood.
Now it’s the Chungcheong Derby. Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, which joined the K League 2 from last season, also made a splash in its first season as a pro soccer player under coach Choi Yoon-gyeom. Unfortunately, even though it did not make it to the playoffs, it showed great potential. This season is continuing its momentum. Even if key players such as Jorge and Peter are out, they are leading the league with two wins and one draw in three games.
Chungcheongnam-do Asan aims to continue its winning streak, while Chungcheongbuk-do Cheongju continues to remain undefeated. In total, Chungcheongnam-do Asan is ahead in the lead. Chungcheongnam-do Asan, which won 4-0 in its first game last season, also won 3-2 in its next game. The team lost 0-1 in the last game of the season, leaving regret. Whenever they met, they engaged in fierce competition with each other, signaling the start of the Chungcheong Derby in earnest. It is now in its second season and the first game is just around the corner.
Chung Ma-ho is a key player in Asan. Born in 2005, Chung played for Samsung in Suwon and United Youth in Incheon before joining Asan from this season. He is playing as a starting member of the team. He made his debut goal in his professional debut in Suwon, and scored a fantastic goal in the match against Gyeongnam to secure his second goal of the season. He was selected as the K-League 2’s Best Eleven in the third round 퀸알바
Coach Kim Hyun-suk is also showing his trust by praising Jung as “the player who will become Korea’s next-generation midfielder.” Jung is now ready to play in the Chungcheong Derby as well.