Playoff-bound teams set in K League 2 with Suwon Samsung stuck for another season

Jeonnam Dragons players celebrate a goal by Fessou Euloge Placca (No. 58) against Seoul E-Land FC during a K League 2 match at Mokdong Stadium in Seoul, Nov. 9, in this photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League. Yonhap

Four playoff-bound teams in the K League 2 were decided on Saturday, as they vie for promotion to the top competition next year, while a once-proud club will remain in the second division at least for another season.

Regular-season finales were played across K League 2, Saturday, and Jeonnam Dragons and Busan IPark finished the campaign in fourth and fifth place. They will meet in a playoff match, Nov. 21, with the winner going on to play No. 3 seed Seoul E-Land FC, Nov. 24.

The winner of that contest will then face the 10th-place team from K League 1 in one of two promotion-relegation playoff matches.

The other playoff match will pit the No. 2 seed from K League 2, Chungnam Asan FC, against the 11th-ranked team from K League 1.

FC Anyang clinched the K League 2 title last Saturday and earned a direct promotion to K League 1 for next season. The last-place team from K League 1 will suffer a direct relegation to K League 2.

The K League 1 season will wrap up, Nov. 24.

Suwon Samsung Bluewings, four-time K League champions relegated for the first time this season, ended up in sixth place to just miss out on the playoffs.

They and Busan IPark both had 56 points, but Busan won the goals scored tiebreaker 55-46.

Suwon had already finished their season last Sunday, and needed either Jeonnam and Busan to lose Saturday in order to sneak into the playoffs.

However, both of those clubs won, with Jeonnam beating Seoul E-Land 4-0 and Busan getting past Bucheon FC 1995 3-1. (Yonhap)