Korea-China clashes foreshadow 2018 World Cup qualifier
By John Duerden
With all the attention on the Olympics of late, it is time to switch back to Asian football in a big way. This week sees Korea’s football club teams in action in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Asian Champions League.
The two Korea-China clashes foreshadow the big 2018 World Cup qualifier on September 1. The two countries are going to have plenty of contact over the next few weeks.
On Tuesday, Jeonbuk Motors travels to Shanghai SIPG for the first leg of the quarterfinals. On Wednesday, FC Seoul hosts Shandong Luneng.
At this stage of the competition, any of those remaining could go all the way and lift the trophy. Jeonbuk certainly can. The 2006 continental champion has also won the last two K-League Classic titles.
Not only that, it sits ten points clear of Seoul in the 2016 season. Only a dramatic collapse will stop the Jeonju team from making it three in a row.
As impressive as that would be, coach Choi Kang-hee would really love to lift the Champions League trophy for a second time. At this stage, any game is going to be tough and Shanghai has some genuine stars.
The team, led by former coach of England Sven Goran Eriksson, finished second in the Chinese Super League in 2015 and is enjoying a first ever appearance in this tournament. There is plenty of experience however. Foreign stars such as Dario Conca and Elkeson were part of the Guangzhou Evergrande team that defeated FC Seoul in the final of the 2013 Asian Champions League.
There is also Asamoah Gyan, one of Africa’s top strikers, who arrived last year for over $20 million and then, this June, they paid $60 million for Brazilian international Hulk, who, like, Gyan, has injury issues.
Add local talent, like attacker Wu Lei and former Seoul defender Kim Joo-young, and there is plenty to be wary of.
Jeonbuk has more experience in Asian club football than any other team and knows full well that scoring an away goal is important. If the scores are the same at the end of 90 minutes of the second leg, the team which scored more goals in the away game will progress.
One of Jeonbuk’s strengths is the team’s depth and the fact that the team does not rely on one player for goals. The likes of Lee Dong-gook and Brazilian attackers Leanardo and Ricardo Lopes contribute as do Lee Jong-ho and Kim Bo-kyoung. If Jeonbuk’s slightly suspect defense holds firm, then it has what it takes to progress.
Seoul hosts Shandong Luneng on Wednesday. The two met in the group stage with Seoul winning 4-1 in China and then tying 0-0 at home. Much has changed since those spring clashes. Both teams have changed coaches.
Shandong, third-placed in China in 2015, has been struggling against relegation all season and in June, fired former Brazilian coach Mano Menezes to bring in Felix Magath.
Magath led Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg to German league titles in the previous decades and is famous (some would say infamous) for his strict training regime. Results have improved a little but the team is still uncertain of its top-flight status even after paying big money to English clubs in the summer to buy strikers Graziano Pelle and Pappis Cisse.
Seoul also has dangerous attackers such as tournament top scorer Adriano and Dejan Damjanovic. There should be goals and excitement in the upcoming games.