At the famous ‘Walking Ceremony’ restaurant, Saitama Stadium in Japan, the Pohang Steelers truly demonstrated the power of ‘Steel Taka’.
Pohang won 2-0 over Urawa Reds (Japan) in the 3rd match of Group J of the 2023-24 Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL) group stage held at Saitama Stadium in Saitama, Japan on the 24th, winning all 3 games and finishing 1st with 9 points. Continued above.
Pohang, which beat Hanoi FC (Vietnam) 4-2 and Wuhan Sanjeon (China) 3-1, not only showed off its scoring ability but also defended well. Urawa has 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss (4 points), and there is a possibility that it will be pushed to 3rd place depending on the results of Wuhan and Hanoi.
Pohang fought with a loss of power due to injuries to Oberdan and Wandelsson. Excluding frontline striker Jeka, Jeong Jae-hee, Ko Young-jun, and Kim Seung-dae stood in the second line of attack, while Kim Jong-woo and Han Chan-hee assisted as central midfielders. The defense was guarded by Shin Gwang-hoon, Ha Chang-rae, Park Chan-yong and Park Seung-wook, and the goal was guarded by Hwang In-jae.
Urawa is in 3rd place with 53 points through the 30th round of the Japan J-League. Although the offense is not explosive, the defense has built a solid defense shield that ranks first in the fewest goals allowed (22). From Pohang’s perspective, an effective attack strategy was needed.
When we opened the lid, Pohang showed the same style of play against Urawa that they had shown in the past, even finishing the attack with a perfect pass. Coach Kim Ki-dong’s attention to detail was evident, as he knew what kind of game to play in each zone, to the point where it felt like the teams were swapped.
Except for Keito Yatsui’s one shot in the 9th minute of the first half, Pohang was more aggressive. Multiplayer Shin Gwang-hoon received a warning while defending tightly, but it wasn’t a bad move. They distributed the ball from the side to the center, aiming for a crack, and it paid off in the 22nd minute. After receiving Park Seung-wook’s pass, Kim Seung-dae dribbled to the left side, drawing the defense’s attention, and quickly attempted a cross to the center of the penalty area. Jeka pretended to receive this and slipped forward, and Jeong Jae-hee, who was running from behind, changed direction with his right foot in front of the defender and shook the net.
However, in the 30th minute, difficulties arose due to Jeong Jae-hee’s sudden injury, and speedster Kim In-seong was brought in urgently. Kim In-seong continued to penetrate the right flank and shake up the Urawa defense. In the 45th minute of the counterattack, Kim In-seong received a pass from Go Young-jun and attempted a low left-footed ground ball, but it passed by the goal post, leaving a disappointment.
After the second half started, Urawa attempted a change by bringing in Shoya Nakajima and Hiroki Sakai simultaneously. However, Pohang had midfielder Ko Young-jun, who received military service benefits for winning the gold medal at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. In the 4th minute, the Urawa defense was shaken by movement, and when Kim In-seong broke through the right side and passed to the center, Go Young-jun shot a left-footed ground ball that hit the goalpost and deflected, resulting in an additional goal.
Urawa showed their will to somehow turn the tables by bringing in Tomoaki Okubo, Takehiro Akimoto, and Ken Iwao in the 14th, 24th, and 31st minutes, respectively. Pohang also added Kim Jun-ho and Lee Ho-jae, replacing Kim Jong-woo and Jeka in the 35th minute to add fuel to the offense and defense.
Although it was ruled offside, the fact that Hwang In-jae saved Okubo’s volley shot in the 23rd minute was a scene that showed how great the player’s concentration was in the game. In the 36th minute, Ko Young-Jun attempted a shot over the goalkeeper’s head, but it was blocked by his hand and did not reach the goal.온라인카지노
As Pohang’s pressure continued, Urawa tried to create work by attempting crosses from the left and right sides, but nothing worked. Pohang increased its defense numbers as 40 minutes passed. In a situation where Urawa’s passing quality, which they are good at, was low, attacking through crosses was not suitable at all.
Six minutes of extra time were given. Pohang only had to maintain its calm performance and speed. Urawa kept trying to cross into the central space in a hurry, but the defensive wall was as strong as concrete. There was no further fluctuation and it ended in Pohang’s victory.