First game shows ‘different weight class’

The weight class has changed. It was the Jeonbuk Hyundai we knew.

Jeonbuk, looking to bounce back this season, got off to a flying start. Hernandez and Ahn Hyun-beom scored back-to-back goals to lead Jeonbuk to a 2-0 victory over Pohang Steelers in the first leg of their 2023-2024 Asian Champions League (ACL) Round of 16 first leg at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on Thursday. Prior to the start of the K-League season, Jeonbuk’s first official match of the year in the ACL set the tone with a convincing win over a tricky Pohang side. 안전놀이터 Jeonbuk head coach Dan Petrescu said: “It’s significant that we won against Pohang, a team we didn’t beat last season. Today’s win will be a big morale booster.”

The result was a result, but it was the content that mattered. Jeonbuk pounded Pohang with aggressive forward pressure and quick transitions, and the tempo was much higher than it was last season. The first half was dominated by Jeonbuk’s pace, leaving Pohang helpless. In the second half, Pohang made a change and upped the tempo, and that’s where Jeonbuk’s strength showed. Coach Petrescu made quick substitutions to change the flow of the game. The quality of the players that came on was jaw-dropping. Meng Sung-woong, Kim Tae-hwan, Han Gyo-won, Jeong Woo-jae, Jeong Tae-wook, and other top-notch resources came in one after another to stifle Pohang’s momentum. In effect, Jeonbuk’s unique advantage of being able to dominate in weight class came to life.

In the past two seasons, which were also disappointing, Jeonbuk’s strength was rated as top-notch.

It was not as strong as it was under Choi Kang-hee, but it was still full of top K League players. However, the team was lacking in terms of balance. While some positions were saturated with good players, other positions were relatively weak, leaving gaps and allowing opponents to exploit them.

But the 2024 season is different. The team has built an unbreakable strength across all positions, especially in the wingers, the core of Jeonbuk’s “Dakgong” offense, where a triple squad is possible. Newcomer Vinicius, who was named in the lineup against Pohang, didn’t even get a start. The No. 10 position (central attacking midfielder), a weakness, has been filled with the growth of Song Min-kyu, and the quality of passes to the front has improved with the addition of top playmaker Lee Young-jae. The new additions of Thiago, Hernandez, 바카라사이트 추천 and Kim Tae-hwan have quickly settled in, which has had the effect of deepening the bench.

Of course, we’ve only played one game, but there are many positives. In particular, the return of Jeonbuk’s “Jeonbuk-ness” is significant.