Korean teams face tough Asian challenge

By John Duerden

The K-League season is not quite upon us but the 2016 Asian Champions League starts this Tuesday. South Korean teams have historically enjoyed success in this most prestigious club competition, but this year looks to be tougher than ever.

The tallest task this week falls at the feet of the Pohang Steelers. The North Gyeongsang Province team finished third last season and has a new coach in Choi Jin-cheul, who replaces 2002 World Cup teammate Hwang Sun-hong.

Choi's first game was the Champions League qualification playoff two weeks ago, a 3-0 win over Hanoi T&T.

If that was a comfortable win, the next will be anything but, on the turf of defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande. The Chinese club has not only won two of the last three Asian titles, but took the last five domestic crowns as well.

Choi is light on coaching experience and still had a few years of his playing career left when opposite number Luiz Felipe Scolari led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup. Since winning the 2015 Asian Champions League, Guangzhou has paid more than $50 million to Atletico Madrid for Colombian striker Jackson Martinez.

No Korean team, few in the world, can compete with such spending power, but there is hope. There is no pressure on the relatively poor Pohang especially as there will be no home fans at the Tianhe Stadium.

Irregularities in the media room ahead of last year's final led the Asian Football Confederation to fine Guangzhou $160,000 (an amount that will have little impact on a club that pays around 400 times that per player) and to order this game to be played behind closed doors (which means Pohang will not have to worry about the 40,000-plus passionate fans).

Jeonbuk Motors, Korea’s strongest team, is gunning for a third successive domestic title this year. The team has recruited well in the off-season and would love to add a second Asian crown.

The group will be a three-way race with Shandong Luneng of China and, opening day visitor FC Tokyo. No J League team should be taken lightly, but the greens should have enough experience and firepower to see off the Japanese, although a familiar face will visit Jeonju as Ha Dae-sung returns to his homeland.

Suwon Bluewings officially apologized to its fans this week for lack of activity in the transfer market over the winter. That's all well and good but amends should really be made on the field when the Samsung-backed team takes on the partially Panasonic-funded Gamba Osaka.

The Japanese giant won the 2008 title and reached the final four last time. Suwon needs a good start at home and will be looking to veteran captain Yeom Ki-hun and young midfield star Kwon Chang-hoon, off to the big leagues of Europe before too long, to make the difference.

And then there is FC Seoul. The 2013 Asian finalist welcomes back legendary striker Dejan Damjnovic from China, but this is not the same Seoul team he left.

Taking on Thai champion Buriram United will be tough and not just because of the travel. The team from the northeastern corner of the Land of Smiles has won the past five domestic titles in one of Asia's most improved football nations and has genuine ambitions of going far this time.

Seoul tends to start seasons slowly but also tends to get through the group stage. But there can be no slip-ups ― the Asian Champions League is getting tougher by the year.