FC Anyang are staying up; a review! | OneFootball

Ivan Jukić’s double in Jeju rubber-stamped Anyang’s stay in K League 1 for another year. 

In late summer, their season was heading in another direction after a string of narrow losses. But a colossal comeback against Daejeon and a famous win in Seoul changed the entire complexion of their campaign. This is how it happened.

In my 2025 season preview, I wrote that "Anyang's promotion was built on a great defense but if that malfunctions,.....their first division stint will be a short one." In the end, I predicted the club would finish ninth. They may still end up in that position, but their season has been better than I expected.

That defense didn't malfunction. Only Gwangju have conceded fewer goals (41 vs. 44) in Final B. The recruits have, mostly, been a huge success, headlined by the goalscoring prowess of Bruno Mota and the versatility and consistency of Thomas Oude Kotte. Anyang's +3 goal difference is bettered only by the top three. And let's not forget manager Yoo Byeong-hoon, who's clever use of the bench and inspired line ups helped drag the team from a midsummer's nightmare.

Anyang are staying up. Here's why.

1. Scouting Perfection

Backed by a championship-winning squad, Anyang approached the winter market looking to add a little quality, experience, and depth to a group of players with limited top-level football exposure. As a city-owned club, like Suwon FC and Gwangju, their hands were tied to some extent. And being a newly promoted club enjoying a maiden promotion, attracting good players was going to be a challenge. But first things first, they needed a goalscorer.

It’s hard to believe, but Anyang won promotion despite striker Nicolas Careca failing to find the back of the net or provide an assist during his spell with the team in 2024. Nicolas arrived during the summer to replace the injured Danrlei, and never got going.

In came Cheonan City’s Bruno Mota. Not every goalscorer plucked from K League 2 adapts to the top division—just look at Jorge in Pohang (9 goals in 69 appearances)—but Mota has proved to be a roaring success. Fourteen goals and four assists went a long way to securing safety. In 36 K League 2 matches, Anyang scored 51 goals. After 36 matches in K League 1, they’re on 47, despite facing tougher opposition. The right man at the right time.

When Mota spoke to K League United in the summer, he couldn't hide his love for the club.

Bruno Mota celebrates the winning goal in Sangam.

Joining Mota was Dutch defender Thomas Oude Kotte. The centre-back came through the Vitesse system, adding Eredivisie experience to the squad. As the season goes on hiatus for the international break, Thomas has racked up 35 appearances this term. His form was so good he was selected to represent Team K League vs. Newcastle United in the summer. Whether he stays or not, the 29-year-old will always be remembered forthat goal against FC Seoul.

Korean internationals Kim Bo-kyung and Kwon Kyung-won (the latter joining over the summer) came in, as did Bosnian winger Ivan Jukić. Han Ga-ram, who spent several seasons learning his craft in German football, has become a regular presence in Anyang’s midfield. Han’s wonder goal against Gimcheon Sangmu in Round 33 will likely win the club’s Goal of the Season award. As far as winter (and summer) shopping goes, Anyang earned an A+ rating.

2. A Solid Start

Owing to pitch and stadium repairs at their modest home on the banks of the Hakui-cheon, Anyang opened their 2025 season with three straight matches on the road—and, on paper, a very difficult set of fixtures. Up first were three-in-a-row champions Ulsan HD, arch-rivals FC Seoul, and ACL Elite quarter-finalists Gwangju FC. A return of zero points from nine was entirely possible. Instead, Anyang caused a major shock on the opening day, beating Ulsan in Munsu thanks to Mota’s late header.

That Munsu feeling.

Even though they lost 2–1 (a familiar score line in Anyang matches) to Seoul and Gwangju, the Violets showed they weren’t here to make up the numbers. Unfortunately, their home opener didn’t go to plan—losing 3–1 (their joint-heaviest defeat of the year) to Gimcheon Sangmu. But Anyang took six points from their next three matches to lift the pressure.

Yoo Byeong-hoon’s men were picking up plenty of wins in the opening third of the season—but also a lot of losses. It wasn’t until their 13th game of the year, against FC Seoul, that Anyang drew a match. By that point, Anyang sat 7th, ahead of Seoul. It wouldn’t last long, and an inevitable mid-summer loss of form would raise significant questions about their ability to stay afloat.

3. The Decline

On June 14, Anyang beat Suwon 2–1 at Castle Park in a relegation six-pointer. So far, the Violets had picked up points quite easily against sides expected to struggle with them. As they boarded the bus back to Bisan-dong, no one would have imagined Anyang would record only one more win between June 14 and late August. Six defeats in seven matches plunged the club into trouble. When Pohang Steelers departed Anyang with all three points on August 15, I was convinced they were heading down.

Lee Ho-jae of Pohang Steelers

The mood music wasn’t cheerful.I caught up with Anyang's favoured son, Kim Jung-hyun, three days before the chastening defeat. The talismanic midfielder highlighted the conditions as the primary reason for the decline in results and performances.

The one positive result in that shocking run—which saw the team drop to 11th—was a 4–0 hammering of Daegu. Anyang weren’t playing terribly at first, but suffered too many narrow losses. The rot started when Gimcheon Sangmu won in the 83rd minute. Gwangju, Suwon, Jeonbuk, and Pohang all defeated Anyang by a single goal. Jeonbuk’s winner came in injury time. The home loss to Pohang was particularly concerning. Lee Ho-jae scored early and then Pohang hung on without having to work particularly hard. To compound matters, Kwon Kyung-won was sent off. Anyang were in deep trouble.

4. A Turning Point

You can pinpoint the exact moment Anyang’s season was radically altered—and on the back of the victory in Jeju, it’s fun to revisit that match knowing how the landscape has shifted. Title-chasing Daejeon Hana Citizen were in town a week after Pohang’s win in Anyang. The atmosphere was tense in the build-up, and only got worse when João Victor put the visitors ahead after just a few seconds. Daejeon held onto that lead until half-time.

Yago César equalized immediately after the restart, only for Yoo Kang-hyun to restore Daejeon’s lead. Then came the moment of the match—and, to that point, Anyang’s season. Daejeon defender Ha Chang-rae was sent off on 71 minutes for tugging Yago's jersey on the edge of the box. Matheus Oliveira, the reigning K League 2 MVP, came off the bench and whipped a wonderful free kick into the left corner. Anyang smelt blood and went for it.

Matheus after his winning goal inspired a turnaround in the team's fortunes.

Their reward came with time running out. Another second-half replacement, Jukić, spotted Matheus unmarked 35 yards out. Daejeon’s tiring defense had momentarily switched off, allowing the Brazilian space to head for goal. Matheus had plenty of work to do, under pressure from the retreating defenders, but he got his shot away. It nestled into the back of the net. The scenes were joyous.

5. Revival

I’ve always wondered if a line was drawn in the sand after Pohang left without a punch thrown in August. Did the Anyang management sit down with the players and tell them,“We’re going back down if we don’t sort this out”? Whatever was said—publicly or privately—worked. In their 10 matches since, Anyang have lost just once: 21 points from a possible 30. Champions Jeonbuk have taken 15 points in the same period.

Midfielder Han Ga-ram knows he just hit a once-in-a-lifetime goal.

Sunday, August 31, 2025, will forever be etched in the memories of the Anyang faithful. And for me, to have stood there on that fateful day, goes down as the highlight of the season. Buoyed by the late win over Daejeon, Anyang made the short trip north to face FC Seoul. These clubs don’t like each other. Seoul, after all, were once Anyang. When they left the city in 2004, it left Anyang without a club for a decade. The fans wanted this one. Thomas opened the scoring, Seoul equalized, and Mota won it off the bench. When the final whistle blew, there was bedlam in the stands, on the pitch, and in the dugout. Anyang’s finest hour.

Whereas Sangam was the emotional highlight, Anyang’s best 90 minutes came in October. Boasting the league’s best player in Lee Dong-gyeong, Gimcheon Sangmu needed to avoid defeat to prevent Jeonbuk Hyundai from winning the league before the split. It was a disaster. Anyang tore the army team to shreds in a statement performance and result that ended the title race. Han Ga-ram’s early screamer set the tone. Anyang would go on to win 4–1—it should have been at least six.

Back-to-back wins against Ulsan and Jeju have confirmed Anyang’s safety. The international break means they can enjoy two weeks off without the threat of relegation hanging over them. Suwon FC will visit Anyang after the break. Anyang can cement Suwon’s place in the relegation zone by avoiding defeat. No doubt that’ll appeal to them. Daegu away closes out a memorable season—one with lows, but plenty of highs. "Amazing year it has been," was how Thomas summed it all up.