Jeonbuk Hyundai will once again go on a hunt for two rabbits: three points and physical fitness.
Jeonbuk Hyundai will face ‘Thailand’s powerhouse’ Muangtong United in the second Group H match of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League 2 (ACL2) at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on the 3rd.
Jeonbuk made a pleasant start to its ACL2 journey with a 6-0 victory in the away match of Cebu FC held in Manila, the Philippines on the 19th of last month. Starting with Jin Tae-ho, a rising star born in 2006 who scored the first goal of the header, Kim Chang-hoon, Moon Sun-min, Park Jae-yong, Yoo Je-ho and Park Chae-joon set off firecrackers in succession.
Coach Kim Doo-hyun’s “Lee Won-hwa Strategy” has succeeded. Jeonbuk focused on physical fitness arrangements for its main players in the Asian league and opted for a rotation focusing on Team B as its priority is survival of the K League 1. Despite this, it garnered the result by banking on the performances of Jin Tae-ho, Kim Chang-hoon (born in 2004), and Park Chae-joon (born in 2003), who scored one goal and one assist.
Muangtong couldn’t laugh in the first round. He called Selangor (Malaysia) to his home turf, but the match ended in a 1-1 draw. Muangtong ranked eighth with three wins, three draws and one loss in Thailand’s top professional league.
Jeonbuk, which is leading the team in objective terms, will operate a large number of rotations this time as well. It has to prepare for the match against Daegu FC that will take place on June 6. Currently, Jeonbuk is ranked ninth in the league with 37 points, and Daegu is ranked 10th with 35 points. The showdown with Daegu will be a watershed moment in the relegation battle.
“The league is at an important point,” coach Kim Doo-hyun said. “We plan to deploy B team players as in the game against Cebu. Players who had not received an opportunity will also participate. We will also include some of the players who recently joined the league squad. We will utilize them according to circumstances and make results.” Thiago who trained with Team B on the eve of the game will also have a chance.
The team is in a good mood. Starting with its 2-1 win against Pohang in August, Jeonbuk has been on an unbeaten streak (five wins and two draws) in its recent seven matches. Notably, it won the previous match against Jeju Island, thanks to Jeon Jin-woo’s theatrical goal, showing a proper upward trajectory. If it beats Daegu, it can catch up to Gwangju (40 points), which is ranked seventh.
Team B is full of motivation as well. “Players have gained more confidence through detailed matches. Training quality is better when we prepare for this match,” Yoo said. “Bright and positive atmosphere. All the players are engaged in training with great motivation. As we have to win three points this time, we are displaying strong concentration and good performance in training as well. We look forward to tomorrow’s match as well.”
In the meantime, this match will be the first return match in 11 years. Jeonbuk still has memories of facing Muangtong in the ACL group qualifying round in 2013.
At that time, Jeonbuk drew 2-2 on the road in the first leg, but advanced to the round of 16 with a 2-0 victory (score: Lee Dong-gook, Park Hee-do) in the second leg on its home turf. Jung Hyuk, Park Won-jae, and Choi Eun-sung, who are now coaches in Jeonbuk, also played as players. 토토사이트
Coach Gino Letieri Muangtong, who has to produce different results this time, said, “It will not be an easy game. Jeonbuk is a very, very good team. I’ve been to many places around the world, but this is my first time visiting Korea,” but added, “But I’m not here to travel. We came here to play soccer and to do our best. Both teams need three points. We will try to get three points.”
Defender Christianity also said, “Gaining points has become really important after the first match against Selangor. It will be a difficult match. I really respect Jeonbuk. However, as all group matches are important, I will do my best to secure three points.”