FC Anyang's Final B fixtures and aspirations | OneFootball

FC Anyang's debut season in K League 1 has gone better than most pundits expected. The Violets are not safe from relegation just yet, but their form and confidence going into the final month of the year should carry them to safety very soon.

After several seasons near the summit of K League 2, FC Anyang finally realized their dream of playing top tier football when they swept to the championship last winter. They came very close on other occasions, no more so than 2022 when Suwon Samsung needed a 119th minute winner in the second leg of the playoff final to retain their K League 1 status.

Current K League 1 Final B standings.

Promoted sides tend to fare well when making the leap. Suwon FC and Jeju SK went up in 2021, and are both still in the top division. Gwangju finished 3rd in their first season back, as did Gimcheon Sangmu in 2024. Anyang's situation was more tricky, however. Their squad didn't boast a lot of K League 1 experience, something a club is expected to need during a tough examination of their abilities.

Take veteran goalkeeper Kim Da-sol. The 36-year-old has been a revelation since swapping Jeonnam for Anyang. Over the course of a long career, Kim has racked up 73 K League 1 appearances, to 130 in the second tier. Of those 73, only 43 were to his name before promotion. Full-back Kim Dong-jin, who provided two assists last weekend, has 225 K League 2 appearances, and less than 70 in the top tier. None of Anyang's foreign players had a single minute in K League 1, either. The experience came from captain Lee Chang-yong and Kim Bo-kyung, but those examples were exceptions.

However, Anyang have outperformed what the experts predicted. They began with a stunning win in Munsu on the opening day, and, on three occasions, were in the top half of the table. Understandably, there were tricky moments, too. Between weeks 22 and 27, Anyang were in the relegation zone. Morale was low at the time. Midfield stalwart Kim Jeong-hyun said at the time:

But fast forward a few months, and Anyang have toppled Daejeon Hana Citizen at home, and recorded a memorable victory at FC Seoul. The K League splits into Final A and B after the 33rd round. When the music stopped, Anyang were 7th, just two points shy of Gangwon in 6th. They are above ACL Elite quarter-finalists from last season, Gwangju FC, on goals scored, and three-in-a-row champions Ulsan HD.

Survival is far from guaranteed, and that should exercise caution as we approach the final furlong. Suwon FC are in the final relegation position (10th), four points behind Anyang with five matches remaining. Fortunately, Daegu (12) and Jeju (11) are so far adrift, it is essentially four sides fighting to avoid one spot. The nature of the K League split means the bottom six sides will face each other once in the run-in, and none of the teams in top half. These fixtures carry an added weight with relegation looming.

Here are FC Anyang's final five games.

Fixtures, dates, times, and locations. Image: FC Anyang social media.

Gwangju FC (away).

Saturday, October 25. 14:00.

Anyang haven't beaten Gwangju in any of their three meetings this season. The first two encounters, home and away, ended in 1-2 defeats to Lee Jung-hyo's men. More recently, the sides played out a dour 0-0 draw in Anyang which effectively ended the Violets' chances of finishing in the top half. Gwangju are very tough opposition. Their goals scored record is low (34), hence Anyang are above them in the table, but the concession of 40 in 33 games proves they are difficult to break down. Anyang will be desperate to record their first victory over Gwangju since they met in K League 2 back in 2019. The score that day? Anyang 7-1 Gwangju.

Ulsan HD (home).

Saturday, November 1. 16:30.

If you offered Anyang four points from a possible nine against Ulsan at the start of the season, they'd have bitten your hand off for it. Ulsan were on a run of three-straight championship successes before a disastrous season saw the Tigers drop in the bottom six, and a relegation battle. They met on the opening day in Munsu. Bruno Mota rose highest to head home the winning goal on his debut in the 92nd minute. They met again in April, but this time Ulsan claimed a single goal victory thanks to Erick Farias' penalty. The most recent meeting ended goalless in September. Ulsan will open November with a second visit to Anyang this season; the odds of that happening in February would have been very low.

Anyang fans celebrating in Munsu.

Jeju SK (away).

Saturday, November 8. 14:00.

Anyang and Jeju are familiar opponents in K League 2. All three matches have gone the way of the home side - Anyang won twice 2-1 (the amount of single goal victories and defeats for Anyang is extraordinary - 19) with Jeju winning 2-0 in Seogwipo in between. That reverse is actually Anyang's joint-heaviest defeat of the season. Kim Hak-beom was in the dugout for the previous three encounters, but he's since left his post at Jeju with the club in a dire situation. The home team will see this as a good opportunity to pull clear of Daegu in 12th. For Anyang, avoiding defeat will go a long way to securing their status in K League 1 for another year.

After the thunderous win over Gimcheon Sangmu, I spoke to Dutch defender Thomas Oude Kotte.

Suwon FC (home).

Saturday, November 22. 14:00.

Another familiar opponent to Anyang from their K League 2 days. Suwon represents Anyang's closest rivals geographically, and in terms of previous encounters. Anyang's Brazilian trio Yago, Bruno Mota, and Matheus Oliveira combined to earn a much needed three points in April. Mota then grabbed a brace when Anyang stormed Castle Park in June, but Suwon gained some revenge when coming from behind to beat Anyang the following month. This match is the penultimate of the season, and final home game for Ryu Byeong-hoon and his men. They will want this to be a celebration after a great first season in the top flight. The atmosphere will be extremely tense if they need a victory to climb away from the bottom three.

Thomas remembers where it all changed this season.

Daegu FC (away).

Sunday, November 30. 14:00.

This will be the fifth meeting of 2025 between Anyang and Daegu when the sides meet at Daegu Forest Arena. Anyang won the first encounter on the road (their second away win of the season), before they played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in Bisan-dong in May. The following midweek, Daegu were back in Anyang for the Korea Cup, and left with a surprise 2-1 victory. But when Daegu returned to Anyang in July, they were demolished 4-0. Those were three very valuable points for the home side, as the game fell between a run of very difficult fixtures. Seven points from nine against Daegu is a reasonable return for Anyang. It'll be fascinating to see where both teams are in the table for the final match of the season.

So, what should be Anyang's target for the remainder of the season? Avoiding a quick return to K League 2 will top the priority list. Even finishing in the playoffs will be considered disappointing. Anyang can't finish in the top six because of the split, either.

Even though their final five opponents are against clubs at or neat the foot of the table, picking up points won't be easy. They'll be disappointed with the opening fixtures of the split because picking up points will not be a formality. It is entirely possible they lose to Gwangju and Ulsan (last season they were ACL Elite sides), edging them closer to the bottom three. They need to collect something - even a single point - before a potentially hazardous trip to embattled Jeju.

Is the sun-setting on Anyang's K League 1 ambitions?

Seventh would be heaven, eight a cause of celebration, and ninth a great return.

2025 has been a success, thus far. Anyang have an average gate of 7,541, seventh best in the entire league, and a massive jump of 47% on the previous campaign. They will need to guard against complacency, take their points, and ensure that top flight football returns to the foothills of Gwanak Mountain for another year.