2025 FC Anyang Season Preview: Is Anyang's squad equipped to survive in K League 1? | OneFootball

FC Anyang shocked K League 2 by topping the table and earning a first-ever promotion to the first division of Korean football last autumn. Avoiding automatic relegation will be their target in 2025, but given the successes of promoted sides in recent seasons, Anyang will harbor outside hopes of a top six finish.

Last Season

18W 9D 9L 63PTS. Champions of K League 2.

What Happened?

Anyang topped the table by three points but K League 2 observers will undoubtedly agree Ryu Byeong-hoon's side were, by some distance, the best and most consistent team in the division all season. After losing their grip on top spot in early April to Suwon Samsung, Anyang returned to the summit in round 10 and stayed there right through to the end of the campaign. That amounts to 29 consecutive weeks in first (and 32 in total) for a club that finished outside the play-off spots in 2023.

As a result, they claimed several personal awards at the end of the season. Matheus Oliveira was voted Most Valuable Player, thanks largely to his league-best 11 assists. The Brazilian also won Player of the Week on two occasions. The number 7 was joined in the Team of the Season by fellow Anyang stars Kim Da-sol (goalkeeper), fullbacks Kim Dong-jin and Lee Tae-hee, centre-back Lee Chang-yong, and midfielder Kim Jong-hyeon. Unsurprisingly, Ryu collected the Manager of the Year award in a very competitive field.

Anyang lacked a consistent goal scorer, a situation exacerbated by Danrlei's season-ending injury in July. His replacement, Nicolas, was utterly hopeless, and it is a testament of the squad's mental strength that they were able to maintain a title challenge without a recognized striker. In total, Anyang scored 51 goals in 36 games, less than the four sides which made up the play-off spots. But the backbone of their title success was a resolute back line (as evidenced by the team of the season) and two excellent, game controlling midfielders in Kim Jong-hyeon and Ri Yong-jik.

They didn't have the deepest squad in the division - especially in attacking areas and between the sticks - two areas that could haunt them this year, despite one notable addition.

Notable Moves

Bruno Mota (in, Cheonan City FC).

The Brazilian hitman was unlucky to lose out on the MVP award to his compatriot and new team mate Matheus Oliveira. Mota scored 16 goals for a poor Cheonan side (league best) earning him a deserved spot in the Team of the Season. Given Anyang's struggles up front, this signing could be the difference between survival and relegation. Plenty will rest on his shoulders as Anyang embark on a first season in K League 1.

Kim Bo-kyung (in, Suwon Samsung).

35-year-old-old Kim spent two largely underwhelming seasons at Big Bird, part of Suwon's first squad to experience relegation. Under former manager Yeom Ki-hun, Kim was a bit-part player, spending more time out than in of the team. It looked like he was enjoying a revival under Byun Sung-hwan but that was short-lived. The 38-times capped international will be a squad player back in K League 1.

Thomas Oude Kotte (in, Roda JC).

As we've seen, defense is an area of strength for the Violets but Kotte looks like a smart signing to add more depth. Often throughout the season, Ri Yong-jik and Kim Jong-hyeon filled in at centre-back, but Kotte has the size and physicality to claim a starting spot. The Dutchman came through the Vitesse system and arrives from Roda JC having played 20 matches so far this season.

Eduardo (in, Novorizontino).

The 28-year-old is the second Brazilian to join Anyang this winter, alongside already established stars Oliviera and Yago. Eduardo has spent most of his career in the second-tier of Brazilian football, but he has played nearly 2,000 minutes in the top flight. Eduardo is a right-footed central or defensive midfielder. If he adapts to life in Korea, Eduardo should prove to a solid squad member.

Matheus Oliveira was so good during his first six months at Anyang that Pohang were heavily linked him last summer. Voted K League 2 MVP, it is unlikely he would have stayed in Bisan-dong had Anyang fallen short in their promotion campaign. The stats above highlight his importance to the club, but something that sets him apart from others, is Oliveira's selflessness in key attacking positions. It isn't often you see a player of his stature happier to hand a golden opportunity to a teammate rather than shoot. The Brazilian is at his best marauding forward from a central position, jinking past opponents before laying on a chance for a teammate. His set-pieces are also of a very high standard.

Young Player to Watch

Chae Hyun-woo

12 months ago, Chae Hyun-woo was still registered with Sangji University. He only joined the club in March but the 20-year-old attacker went on to make 27 appearances across both competitions for Anyang, starting 19 in the league, for a total of 1,000 minutes in his debut campaign. Operating mainly off the left wing, Chae's speed, energy and versatility have made him a firm favorite with the locals already. He even chipped in with three goals. Chae doesn't turn 21 until August and by that time, he will have tormented several K League 1 clubs. Expect plenty of interest in the winger during the summer transfer window if he maintains his form and holds down a regular spot in the starting XI.

Biggest Question

Can Kim Da-sol keep out the goals to maintain their K League 1 status?

Veteran goalkeeper Kim Da-sol enjoyed his best season for many years in Anyang's promotion charge. The 36-year-old kept 13 clean sheets in 35 matches, more than in any season since 2018. Last season, he broke his previous best records for matches played and total minutes on the pitch. Optimism wasn't high when Kim departed Jeonnam Dragons for Anyang 12 months ago, but right from the off, Anyang fans were impressed with their new man. He started strongly as Anyang quickly hit the front and even during their first defeat of the season against Suwon, Kim saved his team from an almighty beating.

But as the season wore on, blunders crept into his game. His clanger led to Jeonnam's 93rd-minute equalizer in late October that put the champagne on ice for another week. Kim has earned the right to start the new season as Anyang's first choice and the depth behind him looks weak if he struggles back in the top flight. Anyang's promotion was built on a great defense but if that malfunctions, will Kim, in the twilight of his career, be able to repel the better standard of player in K League 1? Much rests on the shoulders of Mota and Oliveira, but without a solid back-line and goalkeeper, Anyang's first division stint will be a short one.

Not since Suwon FC went up in 2016 has a club entered the top flight for the very first time. Suwon went down immediately and since then a succession of yo-yo clubs, like Sangmu, Gwangju, and Jeju have bounced between the divisions. The promotion picture makes it very difficult for a new club to go up but Anyang have achieved that after a decade in K League 2. How they fare should intrigue most neutrals. Added to that, FC Seoul's origins (Anyang travel to Seoul in week 2) will add spice to that fixture, and, finally, for the groundhopper, Anyang play in, arguably, the worst stadium in the league. It needs to be viewed to be understood.