Now it’s the turn of the foreign strikers.
Suwon defeated Jeju United 1-0 in Round 27 to climb out of last place again. Suwon (22 points) moved to within two points of last-place Gangwon FC (20 points). It was also their first win since August. The star of the show was defender Boultuis. Bultuis hasn’t been given a chance since Kim Byung-soo took over as head coach. He returned to action on July 12 against Jeonbuk Hyundai (1-1 draw) after a two-month absence and scored the game-winning header in Jeju to give the team a valuable victory.
After going unbeaten in five games in July (two wins and three draws), Suwon won one and drew one in three games in August. A loss in the ‘Suwon Derby’ and a draw against Jeonbuk Hyundai threatened to derail their momentum, but they managed to turn it around.
It’s the second half of the season, and Suwon needs foreign strikers to step up. Suwon hasn’t received much scoring support from foreign strikers this season. Mulicic, who was brought in as a replacement for Oh Hyun-gyu (Celtic), is the team’s top scorer with four goals. However, he hasn’t lived up to expectations. Suwon doesn’t have a single player in the top 20 scorers. To make matters worse, Mulicic has been in and out of the roster due to a series of injuries. This makes it difficult for him to stay fit and on the field. In particular, Mulicic has played in 12 league games, with only two starts.
Flanker Acosti also has just two goals (and two assists) as he continues to be hampered by a series of injuries. Acosti hasn’t scored in over five months since March 19 against Daejeon Hana Citizens (1-3 loss). His trademark explosive breakthroughs are nowhere to be seen. Bassani, who has been bouncing between the one and two lines, also has two goals. Bassani hasn’t been on the roster consistently either.
Werik Popo, the new frontline striker brought in during the summer transfer window, is still adjusting. 온라인바카라 “It’s a matter of adjustment, but he’s too motivated and he feels a lot of pressure,” Kim said. After playing two games, Popo was left off the roster against Jeju. His movement up front isn’t bad, so he’s likely to go through an adjustment period.
Suwon will travel to Gwangju FC on the 27th. Suwon has 27 goals in 27 games, which is just over one goal per game. Along with Gangwon (19), they are the only two teams to fall short of 30 goals. Fortunately, frontline striker Ahn Byung-jun returned to action against Jeju. With foreign strikers stepping up to the plate, Suwon has a better chance of rebounding.