Suwon Samsung Bluewings gamers and coaches have a good time their 2-0 win over Chungbuk Cheongju FC within the golf equipment’ Ok League 2 match at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Monday. Courtesy of Korea Skilled Soccer League
After spending two seasons within the second division of Korean soccer, once-mighty Suwon Samsung Bluewings will take their first crack at incomes promotion again to the highest flight this week.
Suwon Samsung, because the runners-up within the Ok League 2, will face Jeju SK FC, the second-to-last membership within the Ok League 1 this 12 months, in one of many two promotion-relegation playoff collection. Suwon Samsung will host the primary of this home-and-away matchup at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The return match shall be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Jeju World Cup Stadium in Seogwipo on the southern island of Jeju.
The opposite playoff collection will see Suwon FC, the third-to-last workforce within the Ok League 1, play Bucheon FC 1995, who gained a Ok League 2 playoff to succeed in this level.
Their first assembly shall be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Bucheon Stadium in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, and the return leg shall be 4:30 p.m. Sunday at Suwon Stadium in Suwon.
Suwon Samsung, the four-time Ok League 1 champions, additionally with 5 Korea FA Cup titles and two Asian membership trophies, had been relegated after the 2023 season by ending useless final amongst 12 Ok League 1 golf equipment. Because the league launched the present promotion-relegation system in 2013, Suwon Samsung’s direct relegation was by far essentially the most gorgeous growth.
They completed sixth within the Ok League 2 with 56 factors in 2024, falling effectively wanting successful the league and incomes direct promotion as many pundits had predicted. They did not even qualify for the Ok League 2 playoffs, open to groups ranked from third to fifth, with the winner advancing to the promotion-relegation playoffs.
This 12 months, Suwon Samsung completed in second place with 72 factors, six behind the champions Incheon United however adequate to seize a ticket to the promotion-relegation playoffs. They led the Ok League 2 with 76 targets, led by 13 every from Stanislav Iljutcenko and Matheus Serafim. Kim Ji-hyun netted 12 targets, making Suwon Samsung the one workforce within the league to have three gamers attain double digits in targets.
Jeju final performed within the Ok League 2 in 2020. They gained the second division title that 12 months to be promoted again as much as the Ok League 1. That they had stayed safely above the relegation zone till this 12 months, after they scored the second-fewest targets with 40 and the second-worst objective differential at -13.
Suwon FC additionally have not been within the Ok League 2 since 2020. They survived the promotion-relegation playoffs in 2023 after ending in eleventh place within the Ok League 1. They then posted a fifth-place end in 2024 however dropped to tenth place this 12 months.
Their ahead Pablo Sabbag gained the Ok League 1 scoring title with 17 targets and completed third in MVP voting, however no different Suwon FC participant scored in double figures. Their leaky protection conceded 58 targets, the second-highest complete within the league.
Bucheon FC 1995 have by no means reached the Ok League 1 since becoming a member of professional soccer in 2013. They are going to play of their first promotion-relegation playoffs after dropping within the Ok League 2 playoffs in 2019, 2022 and 2023.
Their top-five offense was led by Rodrigo Bassani’s career-high 14. The Brazilian ahead performed for Suwon Samsung in 2023, the 12 months they acquired relegated, and can now look to take his new membership to uncharted territory.
