Gwangju FC, which commands the Asian stage, and head coach Lee Jung-hyo will try to win consecutive games.
Gwangju will play the third round of the 2024-2025 Asian Football Confederation Elite (ACLE) League Stage at 7 p.m. on the 22nd at Yongin Mir Stadium.
Gwangju had consecutive wins in the first and second games. It defeated Japan’s strong team, Yokohama Marinos, 7–3, and even Kawasaki Frontale won 1-0 on the road. Gwangju is the only team that has consecutive wins in the East Asian group.
The ACLE teams, which failed to fully analyze Gwangju, were struggling. Gwangju plays a completely different soccer from existing K-League teams. Rather than relying on long balls, the team targets opponents through delicate pass plays. In addition, the team possesses speed and power, which are the unique strengths of the K-League. This is why the two teams in the J-League felt difficult against Gwangju.
Gwangju, which ranked third in the K-League 1 last year, is showing off its “crazy presence” in ACLE as well. More than anything else, it has a large amount of prize money from participating in the championship. The Asian Football Confederation pays 800,000 U.S. dollars to the teams participating in the ACLE League stage. The team that wins the league stage receives 100,000 dollars per game. Having grabbed two wins, Gwangju has already pocketed 1 million dollars. Lee has become a “prize hunter” on the Asian stage, displaying leadership that can lead the team to the next level. 메이저놀이터
Now his goal is to have three consecutive wins. Johor is less powerful than Yokohama and Kawasaki in the case of Johor. He, however, had a draw with Shanghai Port earlier, and displayed robust performance as he defeated Shanghai Shenhua 3-0. Starting this season, there will be no restriction on the number of foreign players participating in the Champions League. As for Johor, 10 foreign players participated as starters in the match against Shanghai Shenhua. As such, it will not be an easy match for Gwangju either.
There is also bad news. Gabriel, the key player in Gwangju’s side attack, was out for the season due to injury. Gabriel is unlikely to be able to play in the rest of the season. Gabriel is a winger with explosive speed, breakthrough and goal determination. Gabriel’s departure caused a leak in Gwangju’s power.
Gwangju played only domestic players in the last round of the K League 1 and drew with Daegu FC. Chances are high that the team will perform better at Yongin Mir Stadium, where grass is in good condition. Ace Asani will also recover his condition and play as a starting player. It is regrettable that he will not be able to use his home stadium and go on a virtual away match, but an atmosphere is forming in which he can seek three consecutive wins.