The Competition is Heating Up in Both Divisions: Three Takeaways | OneFootball

Suwon FC outlasted Daegu FC in what was the match of the round in K League 1, while Jeju United continued rolling with an away win over FC Seoul.  The second division sees Bucheon FC 1995 continue to lead the pack, but the competition behind them is getting more fierce with each passing week.  KLU's Branko Belan offers his latest musings following another competitive round of football in both divisions.

Seven Goal Thriller in Suwon

Lee Seung-woo opened his account for Suwon FC in what turned out to be one of the most entertaining matches of the season to date.  He netted an equalizer in the early stages of the match after Bruno Lamas had opened the scoring just four minutes after the opening whistle.  Lachlan Jackson scored Suwon's second on 33 minutes, with Urho Nissilä and Kim Seung-jun finding the back of the net in the second half.  Cesinha added a brace for the Sky Blues in a losing effort.

The victory jumps them up to eighth in the table for the moment with Seongnam at home next week, Pohang away on April 6th, and Gimcheon Sangmu at the homestead four days later.  After a sluggish start, it could be an opportunity to grab points and move further up the table.

Lee hasn't quite cemented his place in the squad thus far, but his first marker on Sunday afternoon could do a bit to start penning the script in his favor.  Meanwhile, the squad must focus on the matches ahead with positioning in the table in mind.  The next three matches, and in particular the results could dictate where they finish at the end of the year.

Jonathan Ring Fires Jeju to Another Victory

Jonathan Ring scored his first two goals for Jeju United in their 2-1 win over FC Seoul.

Jeju United kept up their fantastic recent form with a 2-1 win against FC Seoul thanks to a pair of goals from Jonathan Ring.  The Swede registered his first two goals for the club in the Tangerines away triumph against the club from the capital on Saturday afternoon.  Jeju consistently found a way past the red and black wall with the new transfer being the recipient of both markers for Nam Ki-il's men.

Having arrived from Kalmar FF in the winter window, much was expected from the new number ten and he delivered in a big way, being the chief contributor to the team's latest win.  Jeju's form against FC Seoul has been top-notch of late, as the islanders are now unbeaten in eight matches dating back to the 2018 season.

Ring was given the number ten in preseason with the expectation that he would be a standout benefactor for the club, and that showed in a big way on Saturday afternoon.  The performance should give him a hit of confidence moving forward as Jeju look to achieve great things in the calendar year.

Seoul E-Land were held to a draw against Chungnam Asan over the weekend.

Bucheon continue to hold the mantle following six rounds in the second division thanks to their 2-0 win over Gwangju FC, but FC Anyang and ACL-bound Jeonnam Dragons remain on their heels.  Goals from Kim Kyu-min in first half stoppage time and Park Chang-jun with just over twenty minutes to go were enough to see off another successful weekend for Lee Young-min's men.

Seoul E-Land hosts FC Anyang next weekend in what looks to be the tilt of the round.  The Leopards were held to a scoreless draw against Chungnam Asan at the weekend, while the Violets were the idle team in the division in round six.  Their last time out, they managed a 1-0 victory over Busan IPark despite being reduced to ten men.

The match should answer a few questions, and in particular, whether Anyang are ready for promotion this year and whether or not E-Land will finally put their hat in the ring and make a run for the playoffs.  The second division is extremely tight at the moment - second through ninth are separated by only four points.  Will the coming set of fixtures give a bit of breathing room, or will things remain congested as they are now?  While it is still early days, there's no time like the present for emerging contenders to leave an impression.