Kitchee SC acting head coach Kim Dong-jin (41) is determined not to back down against Jeonbuk Hyundai.
Kitchee SC will face Jeonbuk Hyundai in the fifth leg of their 2023-2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) Group F return leg at Hong Kong Stadium in Hong Kong on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
Kitchee is currently last in the group with one draw, three losses and one point. Jeonbuk is second in the group with two wins, two losses, and six points. They are tied on points with Ryan City Sailors (Singapore) for a spot in the round of 16.
This is a must-win game for Jeonbuk, with the added pressure of traveling. If they don’t win this game, they’ll drop to third place in the group and their chances of qualifying for the round of 16 could be in jeopardy. After beating Kitchee, Jeonbuk will now prepare for Game 6 at home against Bangkok United (Thailand).
A day before the match,
A pre-match press conference was held at the Hong Kong Stadium on the afternoon of the 28th. Kitchee’s acting head coach Kim Dong-jin and Shinichi Chan were in attendance.
Acting head coach Kim Dong-jin said, “This is our last home game. We’re playing against Jeonbuk, one of the top teams in the K League, and we know that. 먹튀검증토토사이트 But I think we did well enough in the last game against Jeonbuk, and everything is different from the last game.”
“We have positive energy and we are confident against a strong team. We want to play our game no matter who it is, we want to show how well we can finish our attacking chances and how organized we are in defense. We want to focus on how we play against strong teams and how to play in a good way.”
He also gave an update on the squad. Unfortunately, Kim Shin-wook, a long striker who played for the South Korean national team, will not be able to play against Jeonbuk. Acting head coach Kim Dong-jin said, “Kim Shin-wook is injured and won’t be able to play tomorrow. Paulo was also injured in the last game, so he won’t be able to play. The other players are fine.”
The match against Jeonbuk will take place at 6 p.m. local time in Hong Kong.
Acting head coach Kim Dong-jin said of the kick-off time: “It’s unfortunate, but we respect the AFC regulations. It’s important to show what kind of game we play. In Hong Kong, 6pm is a normal working time, so I don’t think there will be many spectators. We will try to play a good game and focus on getting a good result.”
Earlier in the press conference, Jeonbuk head coach Dan Petrescu said, “As far as I know, Kitchee will have less pressure because they are out of the group stage. We have more pressure. The players are well aware of the pressure of this match.”
Acting head coach Kim Dong-jin agrees, but remains confident: “Jeonbuk has gotten good results in the last two games. Their motivation is high. This match could be the difference between advancing to the next round. “I agree (with Petrescu) to a certain extent. Our opponent might be under more pressure. But we don’t have a win yet either. We don’t want to back down against Jeonbuk,” he emphasized.
“We will focus on getting as many points as possible. We will mobilize all the resources we have, although we won’t know until the end. I want to know how we play when we face a strong opponent, and I’m curious. I think it will be a very important game for me and for our team.”
Acting head coach Kim Dong-jin
“The K League is the strongest league in Asia. It has the best players. Jeonbuk is also a good team with many national team players and a good coach from Europe. Jeonbuk’s results and performances in the K League and ACL this year may not meet expectations. However, Jeonbuk is still a strong team. Their players are strong and their team is strong.”
However, he added, “It’s the end of the season, so they’re exhausted. It’s also an away game and a midweek game. It’s between the important Gwangju and Ulsan games, so the pressure will be high. We’ll take advantage of that,” he said.