The power of the jinx was greater than the ‘Honan effect’. Busan I-Park finally reclaimed the lead at Mokdong Sports Complex on the 4th, winning their fourth straight game against Seoul Eland and their third consecutive league win.
Busan took the lead in the 16th round of the Hana OneQ K League 2 2023 with a sensational header from Kim Chan in the 37th minute. After conceding an equaliser to Lee Si-heon two minutes into the second half, Busan scored the winning goal in the 28th minute through Park Jung-in on the counterattack to secure a 2-1 victory and three valuable points on the road. Riding a three-game winning streak, Busan jumped three places from fourth to first on 29 points from eight wins, five draws and two defeats as Anyang (28 points), Bucheon (26 points) and Gimpo (26 points) failed in their win hunt. It’s the first time Busan has been in the lead since the opening game. Eighth-placed Eland (20 points), who were riding a three-game winning streak and five-match unbeaten run, saw their momentum slow down when they met Busan. Unable to break the jinx메이저사이트
The keyword before the game was Lee Land’s 1m95 ‘monster striker’ Honan. Honan is one of the best strikers in the K League 2 with five goals in his last five games. After coming on as a second-half substitute, he played the role of a ‘game-changer’, changing the course of the game with his dominance in the opposition’s end. Eight of Lee Land’s nine goals in their last five matches have come with Ronan on the pitch, as the club has won four, drawn one and won three in a row in those five matches. Busan coach Park Jin-seop, who utilised the long Brazilian striker when he was in charge of Gwangju, called him “a player I’ve been watching” and warned that “we have to be careful with the rebounding battle”. Eland coach Park Chung-gyun said he benched him for the day because he was not yet fully fit, but he hoped to see the “power and strength” of Honan’s recent maternity issues come into play. Honan’s wife gave birth to their first daughter at the end of May.
Eland must have been hoping for a “formula buff” from Ronan. After finishing the first half trailing 0-1, Yland brought Honan on at halftime. It paid off within two minutes. His overwhelming physicality and concise touch in front of goal created a chance for his teammate. Lee Si-heon took the ball and exploded the equaliser with a sharp shot. However, the ‘Honan effect’ was short-lived. This time, Park Jin-seop’s mercenary skills paid off. In the 19th minute of the second half, substitute Park Jin-seop scored the equaliser less than 10 minutes after coming on. It happened just after Honan’s shot was blocked by Busan goalkeeper Moon Jung-in. Immediately after the goal, the assistant referee raised the offside flag, but after the video assistant referee (VAR) was activated, the goal was awarded. In the 43rd minute of the second half, Honan’s header in front of goal was deflected wide. Honan was substituted in stoppage time, and the game ended with Busan holding on for a 2-1 victory. Busan, who shut down Honan, smiled, while Eland, who did not see the ‘Honan effect’, did not.