Four teams from South Korea's K-League at the ongoing Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League this week are set for return matches against Japanese clubs, as they look to take another step toward reaching the next stage.
At the top continental club competition, FC Seoul, the leader of Group F, will host Nagoya Grampus on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Seoul and Nagoya drew 1-1 two weeks ago.
Also Tuesday, it will be Suwon Samsung Bluewings, which leads Group H, against Kashima Antlers in Japan at 2 p.m. These two clubs ended in a 1-1 tie two weeks ago.
On Wednesday, Jeju United in Group E will face Gamba Osaka on the road at 7 p.m. Two weeks ago, Jeju, ranked second in the group, was the 2-1 winner over Osaka.
Finally, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in Group G will host Cerezo Osaka in Jeonju, 243 kilometers south of Seoul, at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Jeonbuk and Cerezo have six points apiece, but the Japanese team is first thanks to its edge in the head-to-head tiebreaker.
With three matches remaining, all four K-League teams are currently in position to reach the round of 16. Only the top two teams from eight groups can advance to that knockout phase.
Last year, all four K-League representatives reached the quarterfinals, an unprecedented achievement then, and four teams this year are looking to repeat the feat.
In the South Korean capital, FC Seoul, which has seven points after three games, can clinch a berth in the round of 16 with a victory over Nagoya. Seoul will be without head coach Hwangbo Kwan, who was ejected in the previous game after arguing with officials.
At a press conference in Seoul on Monday, Hwangbo said he has faith in his players to do well without him on the bench.
"As long as our players show their desire to win, I'm not afraid of anyone," Hwangbo said. "The match will be one for national bragging rights. Nagoya is the J-League champion (in 2010) and we're the reigning K-League champion."
On a positive note, Seoul's imports Dejan Damjanovic and Mauricio Molina have found their grooves. Midfielder Ha Dae-sung made a successful return after a hamstring injury with a goal in a K-League game last Saturday.
Jeonbuk will have to try to reclaim the top spot without forward Luiz Henrique. Head coach Choi Kang-hee said the Brazilian playmaker hurt his foot during a practice last week and could be out for the rest of April.
"I think Dong-chan will fill in nicely for Luiz," Choi said.
"If Dong-chan can get his offensive instincts back and does what we ask him to do, we'll be fine."
Kim responded by scoring a goal in Jeonbuk's 6-1 rout over Gwangju FC in K-League action Saturday. The 25-year-old forward wreaked havoc on the opposing defense throughout the match.
In their previous match on April 5, Jeonbuk rested some of its regulars and lost. Choi said he will put together his best lineup for this week's match.
Suwon is barely ahead of Kashima in Group H. They're tied in points at five and also in their head-to-head record, and Suwon has the edge in the second tiebreaker, the goal differential, plus-4 to Kashima's plus-3.
At a press conference in Tokyo on Monday, Yoon Sung-hyo, head coach of Suwon, said he believes the Kashima showdown "will determine the first place in our group."
"Our goal is to win our remaining matches and play our round of
16 match at home (as the No. 1 seed)," Yoon said, according to a transcript provided by the K-League. "Our club is doing well in both K-League and the Champions League, and we have no glaring weaknesses."
Jeju, playing in its first Champions League, has won two straight matches after dropping its first. A victory over Osaka will give Jeju nine points, six ahead of the Japanese team, and will put the K-League club in the driver's seat for the next round.
(Yonhap News)
