Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Pohang: Pohang Steelers boss Hwang Sun-hong believes their upcoming AFC Champions League 2014 quarter-finals against fellow Korean club FC Seoul will be a huge affair and has pledged to keep his injury-plagued club together before they meet in August.
Both clubs will meet each other first at the Pohang Steelyard Stadium on August 20 before shifting the action for the second leg onto Seoul’s turf at the World Cup Stadium on August 27 in their quest to advance into the semi-finals of the AFC Champions League.
But first they will have a ‘rehearsal’ of the continental match as they clash in the K League Classic’s 14th round on Wednesday with Pohang suffering a heavy disadvantage due to injury, suspensions and major player transaction.
Forwards Bae Cheon-seok has been ruled out of the season following stress fractures on both legs and Go Moo-yeol has injured an ankle. Midfielder Kim Tae-soo, meanwhile, is nursing his injured calf.
Playmaker Lee Myoung-ju, who was instrumental to Pohang after creating a league record of a goal or an assist in 10 consecutive games earlier this season, was recently transferred to fellow AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Al Ain of the UAE.
“Those (AFC Champions League) quarter-final matches will be huge, and some of our injured players will be back by then,” Hwang told Yonhap News Agency.
“I will try to keep our club together and make sure we don't fall too far behind the race.”
With the absence of the key man and the injured players, topped up by the suspension of two players midfielder Son Joon-ho and defensive back Shin Kwang-hoon, Hwang who is a three-World Cup striker veteran, has looked up to the World Cup action in Brazil for inspiration ahead of their Seoul tie in the Korean league.
He has observed especially the games of Chile, Costa Rica and Mexico who have given their favoured opponents a run for their money, used the three-centre-back-in-defence system and reached the knockout stage.
“I've been thinking a lot about our own strategies while watching the World Cup,” he said. “In difficult times like these, I must keep looking into what's right for our club and try different things.
“You can't really say whether playing three centre-backs is better than playing four backs, or vice versa. There are no perfect strategies. It's really about how you play the game.
“There isn't that much time to prepare (tactic changes), and I think the players will be a bit confused, too.”
Hwang’s Pohang, who have enjoyed most of the year in pole position in the Korean league standings, are in danger of losing the spot on Wednesday to close rivals Jeonbuk Motors who, trailing Pohang by only two points, are gunning to topple them off the top as they take on Jeju United in another match.