Gwangju FC, 'Complete defeat in the first round' Will it be able to hang up 'tickets' to Saudi Arabia
Gwangju FC, 'Complete defeat in the first round' Will it be able to hang up 'tickets' to Saudi Arabia
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Gwangju defeated Vissel Kobe at home at 7 p.m. on the 12th and the second round of the round of 16... 0-2 in the first round
"I want to keep my self-esteem. I just want to score one goal or something. I just want to score one goal into the opponent's goal somehow."
Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo, who is aiming a miraculous victory, vowed to win. Will he be able to completely reverse the outcome of the first round defeat and continue his journey to Saudi Arabia, where the quarterfinals will be held.
Gwangju FC, led by head coach Lee Jung-hyo, will clash with Yoshida Takayuki's Vissel Kobe in the second leg of the round of 16 of the "2024-25 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite" at Gwangju World Cup Stadium at 7 p.m. on the 12th.
Gwangju made its first appearance on the Asian stage, but has achieved remarkable results. Gwangju, which qualified for the Asian Champions League by ranking third in the league in its first year of promotion to the 2023 season, beat "traditional powerhouses" in the revamped tournament to advance to the tournament as fourth in the league stage.
Notably, he made as many as seven goals against "J-League's prestigious Yokohama F. Marinos" in the first round, and beat Johor Darlle Takjim (Malaysia), Kawasaki Frontale (Japan), and Shanghai Shenhua (China) in order, smiling broadly. In addition, he was the only one who succeeded in advancing to the K-League tournament, showing off his self-esteem.
He confidently headed to the round of 16, but Gwangju had to face a difficult opponent. Initially, his team's showdown with Johor was confirmed by taking the third place. However, the opponent changed due to Shandong, who unilaterally refused to participate in the eighth game of the league stage.
The Asian Football Confederation withdrew Shandong, excluding all other teams that had played against Shandong. Eventually, Gwangju faced off Vissel Kobe in the round of 16 strongest teams.
Miracle Goals Gwangju, Remember Home Unbeaten
Those who had already clashed in the fourth round of the league stage had to suffer a 2-0 complete defeat due to Kobe's strong pressure and forward-thinking soccer. In particular, he couldn't shoot in the first half due to Kobe's momentum, and he fell to his knees in the second half, conceding a penalty.
Gwangju met him in the first stage of the tournament after he completely collapsed in the competition with his pride, vowing to win. In particular, Lee said in a pre-match press conference, "We prepared accordingly as much as our opponent plays soccer with strong lines. I really want to win, and I think I have to win. I will be cursed at. I really want to win tomorrow by any means," but the result was the same.
Gwangju allowed two runs due to errors in the defense in the first half, and in the second half, the team continued its attack through replacement and tactical modification, but failed to open the goal in the end. With the result of such a painful defeat back home, Gwangju is aiming for a "miracle" in the second game through full preparation.
The team first postponed its fourth round match against the Pohang Steelers, which was scheduled on June 9. Due to weekday and weekend matches and long-distance travel that began on June 12, players complained of muscle fatigue and injury, and in the process, resources such as Yoo Je-ho and Byun Jun-su were also exited from their power due to injuries. To win the second round, the Korea Professional Football Association has coordinated with the Gwangju team to adjust the schedule and is preparing for the match by taking sufficient rest.
"I think I performed well in the match against Pohang. The players were able to recover, and Choi Kyung-rok also fully recovered and joined the training camp today. Players who had been tired due to the continuous weekday games and ACLE have recovered," Lee said.
Gwangju needs to recall its good memories at home, as it is watching the game against Kobe through rest and concentration. It must revive the part that it did not lose at home. At this season's Champions League elite tournament, Gwangju has played a total of four matches at home, with three wins and one draw. Excluding the match against Johor (3-1 win) held at Yongin Mir Stadium due to grass problems, the team had two wins and one draw.
The team needs to remember its showdown with Buriram United of Thailand, which it faced off in the eighth game of the league stage. At the time, Gwangju allowed two runs first at its home, but never gave up until the end, and Ho scored multiple goals to draw the match 2-2. As such, Gwangju proved that it has sufficient potential at home, and this can be seen in its face-off with Kobe.
In the league, Gwangju showed its potential at home. In the third round, which was held on the 1st, FC Anyang lost the first goal and was dragged away. However, at the beginning of the second half, Gwangju drove Anyang, and Asani scored two goals in a row to win the come-from-behind victory. As such, the Asian stage showed strength at home in Mlon and K-League as well, so Gwangju must remember this. 카지노사이트
Also, if they record a victory, they can receive huge prize money. Gwangju, which has already won $200,000 (about 280 million) through its advance to the round of 16, can get a huge $400,000 (about 560 million) if it moves on to Saudi Arabia, where the quarterfinals will be held. Since this is equivalent to the prize money for winning the K-League, Gwangju, which has a relatively poor finances, needs to use it as a motivation.
In particular, Gwangju needs to win even if it is eliminated because it has lost both of the previous two confrontations.
Meanwhile, Lee Jung-hyo, who attended the official press conference before the match, said, "I played twice with Kobe and couldn't even hit a shot on target. I felt very hurt about that. I feel very embarrassed again. Regardless of the outcome of the game, I want to score at least one goal in tomorrow's game."