Saturday presents Suwon with an invaluable opportunity to remind us of their talent | OneFootball

Suwon opened their season with a narrow victory on Saturday over Ansan Greeners. But we'll know a lot more about where they stand following this weekend's game against Incheon United. A loss won't mean the end of their campaign, nor will a victory see them crowned champions in March. But what the Bluewings faithful will hope for is continued improvement, in both attack and defense.

Last season Suwon started life in K League 2 with a fragile 2-1 victory over Chungnam Asan, thanks to some first half brilliance from Fejsal Mulić. Suwon played most of the game with 10 men, spending the majority of the second-half clinging on. One week later, Suwon traveled to Mokdong to face a much improved Seoul E-Land. The Bluewings were beaten with the last kick of the game, and would go on to suffer two more defeats that campaign to Seoul E-Land.

A few weeks later, Busan IPark stormed Big Bird with a masterclass defensive effort. Suwon had already lost to two promotion candidates. The signs were ominous. Although K League 1's new boys Anyang failed to pick up a single point against Suwon, the Bluewings' form against the teams above them was poor. Now they start again. The question is, have the weaknesses been identified? This Saturday in Sungui Arena will answer that one way or another.

Their opponents are Incheon United who, like Suwon, have had to face a first-ever relegation from the top flight. Their squad is dangerous, led by ex-Gangwon's highly-rated manager Yoon Jung-hwan. Stefan Mugosa topped the K League 1 goalscoring charts last season, and the Montenegrin has opted to remain. So too has Gerso Fernandez, who'll enjoy the freedom of a second division stadium no doubt. Incheon are favorites for an immediate return according to most pundits, so what a perfect opportunity for the Bluewings to test their new-found belief.

Byun Seung-hwan's men started the new year with another single-goal victory, this time against K League 2's annual whipping boys Ansan Greeners. For long-time Suwon fans, it must have felt like Deja vu. Chances came and went, endless possession inside opposition territory amounted to nothing, and then they nearly conceded on the break. We've seen this movie before, thanks lads. But there was something different about the Wa~ Stadium performance.

Arguably the most encouraging aspect of Saturday's win was watching new signings Bruno Silva and Matheus Serafim run riot over the Ansan grass. Silva, especially, was electric on his debut. Signed from Seoul E-Land over the winter, the Brazilian was at the heart of everything positive Suwon did. He has the pace and ball control to beat defenders easily, and, unlike several others in the squad, there's an end product. Bruno scored 11 and provided six assists in E-Land's greatest season. Against Ansan, he created almost every good chance Suwon had.

Matheus Serafim, meanwhile, was the recipient of those opportunities. The 26-year-old had an off-day in front of goal (skying two and ballooning a header late on) but he also possesses serious pace. He was electric down the right flank, and Ansan never got near him. It was Bruno's pressing and cross for Serafim which led to the game's only goal. Serafim was upended in the box, allowing Kim Ji-hyeon to claim all three points for his team.

The former Ulsan HD striker Kim Ji-hyeon was preferred to new signing Stanislav Iljutcenko, who made his debut in the final 10 minutes. Kim won the man-of-the-match award, but that was down to scoring the game's only goal. He missed chances he should have scored but it'll delight Byun that his team secured the points without their influential new striker. Iljutcenko will presumably start on Saturday, renewing hostilities with a team he has faced many times before.

One of the central issues Suwon faced in 2024 was the lack of creativity from their wide forwards. The midfield three was never particularly creative or quick, but the forwards lining either side of Mulić and Kim Hyun were ineffective. And they gave ample opportunities to so many players in those positions. It was a joy to watch their fluidity on Saturday, and even if they left countless opportunities behind, the signs are promising.

Lest we forget, this is a club that went down in 2023 because they failed to score more goals than Suwon FC. And the same club that missed out on the playoffs because Busan IPark scored nine more throughout the year. For their squad, budget, history, and culture, it must have really stung that the inability to score impacted their K League 1 status and ensured they stayed down the following year.

So, why should this feel different? After all, the Bluewings scored once (a dubious penalty award) from 26 shots on goal, 16 on target, six corners to zero and, at times, dominating possession? I think the answer will become clearer in time. But a front three of Bruno Silva, Matheus Serafim, and Stanislav Iljutcenko inspires hope.

The other central issue in 2024 was the regularity with which Suwon conceded first. They owned the league's best defensive record (35 goals conceded) but what good is that stat when you concede first, against the run of the play, and then spend the rest of the match chasing your opponents? Suwon dropped so many points due to this, as I wrote in the season preview.

Here's a flavor from that:

The club invested in defensive reinforcements over the winter, and two of those new names made their competitive debuts. 26-year-old Brazilian Léo Andrade was assured in the centre of the defense alongside Han Ho-gang. At right back, following the conclusion of Lee Si-yong's loan move from FC Seoul, the Bluewings signed former Incheon fullback Jeong Dong-yoon. Ex-Seoul defender Kwon Wan-kyu will also see plenty of game time this year.

Suwon are far from the finished product but the team has a big opportunity to lay down an early season marker at a sold-out Sungui Arena this Saturday. A share of the spoils is the most likely outcome but Suwon's supporters will be pleased if their danger men can target Incheon's rearguard, and the team manages not to concede first against the run of play. No matter what, it promises to be a cracker.