Advancement to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) is the last goal of the season for teams that are far from winning the championship.
As of the end of round 34, Seoul, which was ranked fifth in the league, and Suwon FC, ranked sixth, were able to win the title only arithmetically. At that time, the gap was 12 points with Ulsan HD, the first place, and there was only one case. The top four teams, including Ulsan, do not exceed 62 points in the remaining four games, and after winning all four games, they gain the upper hand in multiple points.
However, if the team fails to set a goal just because the team has lost its championship title, it could falter until the next season. It is not difficult to find cases in the K-League where players lost their goal to win after entering the top split and lost their competitive edge in the next season’s relegation zone. Players who stand out in the relevant team leave to find a team with a more vision, and other teams are more thoroughly prepared to face off.
A realistic goal for teams that are distanced from the front ranks is to advance to the ACL. In particular, this season, all top split teams deserve to aim for that goal. This is because Gimcheon Sangmu, currently ranked third, is not allowed to participate in the AFC-hosted competition due to AFC regulations.
The calculation method is complicated. For example, if a K-League team wins both the ACL Elite (ACLE) and ACL 2, the qualification for ACLE is given only to the winning team in the K-League. Unlike the European Football Confederation, AFC does not grant the winning team additional qualification for advancement. However, if a K-League team fails to win any championship, it can look to advance to ACLE up to the fourth place. Chances are high that the fifth-ranked team will qualify for the ACL2; if the Pohang Steelers, who rank sixth in the league, win the Korea Cup, the fifth-ranked team will have to concede the qualification for the ACL2 to Pohang.
That is why Seoul and Suwon FC will have a showdown on Tuesday as a bridgehead for their advance to the ALC. The two coaches expressed different views. Before the match, Kim Ki-dong, Seoul’s coach, said, “No. Rather than making many changes in the first year in Seoul, we are changing everything through communication with the players, including tactics, life and attitude. We are still trying to find our identity. We are not good enough. If we continue to grow, we will have better next year than this year or the year after next.” He cautioned against just thinking about the ACL.
In contrast, Suwon FC coach Kim Eun-joong gave an honest answer, saying, “My goal is ACL.” “This is the last game with Seoul, and I can use this as an opportunity to set my goal again today. Realistically, it is not easy to win the title. ACL is my goal. Our players are worth going to this game,” adding, “This is an important game that will determine whether I can advance to the ACL or not.”
Consequently, Seoul is one step closer to the ACL. Suwon FC also showed good performance based on three backs, but Seoul’s decisive power was one-up. In the 31st minute of the first half, Lucas scored a high RBI header from a corner kick from the right side of the net to shake the net. With the cohesive force that coach Kim Ki-dong emphasized, Seoul endured Suwon FC’s aggression, and gained three points to push Pohang to fifth place for now to rise to fourth place. Suwon FC, on the other hand, remained in sixth place, completely eliminating its possibility of winning the title. 안전놀이터
After the game, Kim Ki-dong cautiously expressed his desire for ACL. “It was the most important game in closing the season. If we failed in this game, the rest of the game would not have been meaningful. Players maintained one goal and gained three points. We enabled a faint hope for the first goal and will do our best for our home fans as we face Pohang at home,” Kim said in a press conference.
Players have also expressed high expectations for the ACL. “I hope you have a clear sense of goal,” Ki told reporters after the match at the Mix Zone after his comeback in four months. “I hope the players are not satisfied and have a strong sense of goal to win the remaining three games. It is an important moment,” Ki said. “I hope we can cheer up in the remaining three games and play the Asian Champions League for the sake of our fans.”