K League's survivors on collision course in AFC Champions League knockout stage

All News 13:37 August 17, 2022

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- Two teams from South Korea's K League 1 survived the group stage at the top Asian club tournament this year, but after one knockout round, only one of them will be left standing.

That is because Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Daegu FC will face each other in the round of 16 at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League.

In this May 1, 2022, file photo provided by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Kim Bo-kyung of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (C) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against Yokohama F. Marinos during the clubs' Group H match at the AFC Champions League at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The all-Korean showdown will kick off at 5 p.m. Thursday at Urawa Komaba Stadium in Saitama, Japan. The Japanese city is serving as the centralized venue for all round-of-16 matches for the East Region, with teams from South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia taking the field.

Jeonbuk are still in position to pull off a "treble," or winning three major competitions in one season, but they might also walk away empty-handed.

Jeonbuk are in second place in the K League 1 with 49 points, six behind the leaders Ulsan Hyundai FC, following a 3-1 loss to Incheon United on Saturday.

Jeonbuk have made it to the semifinals at the Korean FA Cup, where they will face Ulsan on Oct. 5.

In this May 1, 2022, file photo provided by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Kim Bo-kyung of Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors celebrates his goal against Yokohama F. Marinos during the clubs' Group H match at the AFC Champions League at Thong Nhat Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Daegu FC will also play in the semifinals at the FA Cup, but it has been a far different story in the K League 1.

They are winless in their past 10 league matches, with five draws and five losses. Following a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Ulsan on Saturday, which put them in ninth place and in danger of relegation, Daegu head coach Alexandre Gama stepped down.

Choi Won-kwon, Gama's top assistant, will serve as the caretaker boss until Daegu hire a full-time replacement.

This will be the first meeting between Jeonbuk and Daegu at the AFC tournament. Their most recent showdown in the K League 1 came on June 25, when the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

In this April 30, 2022, file photo provided by the Korea Professional Football League, Zeca of Daegu FC (R) celebrates his goal against Lion City Sailors during the clubs' Group F match at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League at Buriram Stadium in Buriram, Thailand. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

The quarterfinals will be in August for the East Region.

The round of 16 for the West Region, involving teams from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Qatar, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates, will take place in February next year in a location to be determined later. Those teams will play their quarterfinal matches in February, too.

The championship final will be played over two legs on Feb. 19 and 26.