Vissel Kobe coach Takayuki Yoshida, who beat K-League champion Ulsan HD, now looks at Gwangju FC by Lee Jung-hyo, who is ranked first in the league stage.
Kobe won 2-0 away to Ulsan in the third leg of the 2024-25 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) East Asian League Stage at Ulsan Stadium at 7 p.m. on the 23rd.
Kobe ended the first half 0-0 with Ulsan without scoring a goal, but in the second half, he increased his possession through strong forward pressure. After breaking Ulsan’s build-up, he cut the net through a quick counterattack. Frontline striker Taisei Miyashiro scored multiple goals to lead the victory.
Vissel Kobe now has two wins and one draw (seven points) to rank second in the East Asian League stage. He narrowed the gap with top-ranked Gwangju FC (nine points).
After the match, Yoshida said, “Ulsan was aggressive in the first half. We needed time to adjust. It was the same in the second half. So we tried to press hard from the front and scored through a short counterattack.”
“I became accustomed to Ulsan’s attack style. It was definitely difficult in the first half, but as time passed, I was able to find a way to break it down,” he said.
In response to his changed performance in the second half, Yoshida said, “Ulsan had a good position in the first half to increase its possession and put pressure on the front. So I asked the players to put pressure on the front at half-time, and I asked them to push a little more when the opponent had the ball.” 토토사이트
Kobe’s next opponent is No. 1 Gwangju. Gwangju is either a team that is experiencing its first ACLE stage this season, or it is seeking its third consecutive win by beating Yokohama F. Marinos, Kawasaki Frontale and Johor with solid teamwork in every game under coach Lee Jung-hyo.
“We haven’t analyzed Gwangju after watching many games yet. However, I think Gwangju is a great team with a clear concept. Fullbacks come to the center in attack and connect passes, and they are very aggressive in defense and put pressure on the front. They are good at matching the number of defenses and allowing opponents to score points. We will analyze them more and find out more about them in the future,” Yoshida said.