"Jung Hyo Magic is over Choi Kang Hee-ho this time." Gwangju will play in ACLE for the first time → A new history of the round of 16...Pohang 'Self-powered' Starts K League in 2025
"Jung Hyo Magic is over Choi Kang Hee-ho this time." Gwangju will play in ACLE for the first time → A new history of the round of 16...Pohang 'Self-powered' Starts K League in 2025
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Despite the strong cold spell, the K-League hurriedly wakes up from hibernation. The team will take its first step through the AFC Champions League (ALC) from 2024 to 2025.
The ACL has been changed to the "Chunchun" system from the 2023-2024 season. It will temporarily close its doors in early December before resuming its operation in early February. ACL will start its journey ahead of the opening of the K-League (K-League) in 2025. Ulsan HD, Pohang Steelers and Gwangju FC are participating in the ACLE (Elite), the top-tier league. Pohang will start first. Pohang will play the seventh round of the league stage against Kawasaki Frontale at Pohang Steelyard at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Gwangju will then play on the stage. Gwangju will have an away game against Shandong Taishan, coached by Choi Kang-hee, at the Olympic Sports Center in China at 9 p.m. (Korea time).
The top 24 Asian teams (East Asia 12 and West Asia 12) will participate in the ACLE, which is released for the first time in this season. Each team will have four home and away matches, for a total of eight matches. Eight of the 12 East Asian teams will advance to the round of 16. Gwangju is at the forefront of the three K-League teams due to its "blue race." It has reserved a spot for the round of 16.
Gwangju is in the leading group with Japan's Yokohama Marinos and Vissel Kobe. They both have 13 points. Yokohama is leading the team in goal difference, while Gwangju is in second place. The league stage has only two rounds to go. If Gwangju only adds one point arithmetically, it will advance to the round of 16 teams on its own. It opens a higher door for history at its first appearance in ACL since its foundation. As the team is in a biting situation, it is highly likely that it will pass the league stage even if it loses both games.
Gwangju coach Lee Jung-hyo plans to use this as an opportunity to check his capacity ahead of the opening of the K-League. "We are going to play our first game of this season, and I think we have prepared well. We will have our first game before the opening of the K-League tomorrow, and I think it is a good opportunity to check how much we have completed as a team ahead of the opening of the K-League," he said on Sunday.
Pohang, which is ranking fifth with nine points, is also key to its self-reliance. Kawasaki, which is ranking fourth with 12 points, is not an easy target. Still, just one more win will help the team advance to the round of 16. The team should display a winning streak in the match against Kawasaki. As the final match of the league stage is an away match against Johor Darlle Takjim of Malaysia, it is not easy to promise the next one.
"I think it is positive that we will start the 2025 season at Steelyard, our home ground. ACLE has won every game at home. We need to win points. We are ranked fifth, but we desperately need to win because of the tight score gap. We will do our best to earn three points with desperate heart," Pohang coach Park Tae-ha said.
On the other hand, Ulsan, which has achieved three consecutive wins in the K-League 1, is bowing down in the ACLE. As it is ranking 11th (three points), it has failed to advance to the round of 16 teams on its own. Ulsan will have a showdown with Buriram United of Thailand at an away match at 9 p.m. on Saturday, a day later. It is a miraculous story, though it should win the remaining two matches and let other teams lose.
After arriving in Bangkok, Ulsan traveled by bus for nearly six hours and arrived at Buriram on Wednesday. It was choice and concentration. It chose a realistic strategy. While foreign players including Rubik'sson, Yago, Rakaba and Boyanich accompanied the team, Korean players are preparing for the opening match of the K-League except for goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo. Kim Young-kwon, Kang Sang-woo, Um Won-sang, Lee Hee-kyun, Heo Yul, Yoon Jong-kyu, and Lee Jin-hyun remain in Korea. 토토사이트
Jeonbuk Hyundai, which passed the group league in ACL 2, a lower league, will have its first round match of the round of 16 teams against Port FC (Thailand). It is the debut match of Gus Foye, the new coach of Jeonbuk.