Four South Korean football clubs will enter the final stretch of the top continental competition this week with berths in the knockout phase on the line.
FC Seoul, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Pohang Steelers and Suwon Bluewings of the K League Classic will each play their penultimate matches of the group stage at the AFC Champions League.
On Tuesday, Pohang will be in the Chinese capital to face Beijing Guoan in Group G. The teams played to a scoreless draw in their first meeting in February.
Also on Tuesday, Suwon will host Central Coast Mariners of Australia. They also had a scoreless tie in their previous showdown in February.
FC Seoul will travel to Nanjing, China, on Wednesday to take on Jiangsu Sainty in Group E. In their earlier meeting in February, Seoul pounded Jiangsu 5-1 at home.
Another match on Wednesday will pit Jeonbuk against Muangthong United of Thailand at Jeonbuk’s home in Jeonju. These teams had a 2-2 draw in their first meeting in February.
There are eight groups of four clubs, and the top two teams advance to the round of 16. And some K League Classic clubs are better positioned than others to reach the next stage.
The last-place Suwon is the only winless club in Group H, with three draws and a loss. A loss against the Australian club will eliminate the two-time AFC Champions League winner, while a draw would put Suwon into an even bigger hole.
At a pre-match press conference in Suwon Monday, Seo Jung-won, the Bluewings’ head coach, vowed his team will be different this week.
“Everyone on the team knows the importance of our last two matches,” he said. “We will still have a chance to advance to the round of 16 if we win both games. We’re all mentally ready for the challenge ahead.”
Seo said he isn’t concerned about the team’s offensive struggles. Suwon’s North Korean striker Jong Tae-se scored a hat trick in the team’s 4-1 victory over Daejeon Citizen in the K League Classic last Saturday. Seo said he is counting on more from Jong. (Yonhap News)
