The reigning Australian W-League Premiers began their 2019-20 season with back to back away fixtures, including a 3-2 win in Brisbane on Thursday night, before embarking on the long journey to Yongin.

But Hopkins believes his side, who are the only team to participate in the tournament while in the early stages of their domestic season, are well prepared for the challenge ahead.

Beleza supplied nine of Japan’s 23 players at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, and feature many more youth internationals, but while his charges form the backbone of the national team, Nagata says the club’s history is just as proud.

Korean champions Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels will be joined by top-flight league-winners from Australia, China PR and Japan in the ground-breaking FIFA/AFC Pilot Tournament.

The 2019 AFC Women’s Club Championship makes Asia the third Confederation to initiate a continental championship for women’s clubs, following in the footsteps of UEFA’s Women’s Champions League and CONMEBOL’s Copa Libertadores Femenina.

With a shot at a maiden Continental title at stake, the-AFC.com highlights five of the brightest talents to keep an eye on at the FIFA/AFC Pilot Tournament.

A total of 24 players from this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in France are on the books of the four participating clubs, who supplied national team stars for six different sides in the global showpiece.

Having already appeared on the biggest stage in the international game, those players will now be among the first to experience the continental spotlight in club football, with Yongin to host the landmark competition, starting with a double header on Tuesday.

With the countdown to those fixtures drawing ever closer, the-AFC.com looks at the World Cup stars at each side’s disposal in the competition ahead.

Having proven themselves on the domestic front, Incheon Hyundai Steel Red Angels, Nippon TV Beleza, Melbourne Victory and Jiangsu Suning Ladies Football Club will have the chance to claim the title of Asia’s best, with six high-quality matches over three Matchdays to determine the maiden champions at the FIFA/AFC Pilot Tournament.

With the countdown to the landmark event approaching its final days, the-AFC.com shines the spotlight on the four teams competing in Yongin.

Brazilian forward Thais Guedes scored the decisive goal 71 minutes into the second leg, steering Incheon to glory from close range after the first leg had finished goalless last Thursday.

Incheon’s title is their seventh league crown in succession, continuing a stunning run of success which began in 2013, with the club also finishing on top of the table at the end of the regular season in all seven of their championship-winning years.