Competition to advance to the round of 16 strongest teams again, leaving Pohang for the first time of the season as a professional in fog, losing to Kawasaki 04 → ACLE home unbeaten streak ended

Feb 11, 2025

Photo = Korean Professional Football League

Pohang Steelers couldn't laugh in their first official match of the 2025 season with the first exit of the season.

Pohang Steelers lost 0-4 in Game 7 of the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) League Stage in the 2024-2025 season against Kawasaki Frontale (Japan) at Pohang Steelyard on the 11th.

Pohang's loss put its chances of advancing to the ACLE round of 16 tournaments in the fog. There is an away game against Johor Darlle Takjim (Malaysia), the final game of the league stage, but it is difficult to guarantee victory in Malaysia. In order to finish the league stage in the top eight to advance to the round of 16, we need to keep an eye on the results of other teams' games and seek victory until the final match.

Pohang pulled out a 4-4-2 formation. Giorgi and Hong Yun-sang were at the forefront, and Juninho, Kim Jong-woo, Oberdan and Wandelson were in the midfield. The defense consisted of Eo Jung-won, Aspro, Jeon Min-kwang, and Lee Tae-seok. Juningyo, which Pohang carefully recruited this winter, also made its debut. With the exception of Juninho, most of the starting list against Kawasaki was filled with key players last season. It was a natural choice because it focused on firmness rather than addition through the winter transfer market.

The first half started with Pohang's axis. Early in the first half, Kawasaki pressed Pohang strongly in the midfield and sought an opportunity. Pohang slowly turned the ball from the back and found an opponent's gap. In the 17th minute of the first half, when the ball delivered to the back of Kawasaki's defense was cleared and flowed forward against Kim Jong-woo again, Giorgi caught it deep in the penalty box and attempted a cutback pass. However, Giorgi's pass was caught in defense, and unfortunately, the ball was placed in the arms of Kawasaki goalkeeper.

Kawasaki also looked for an opportunity. In the 19th minute of the first half, a cross attempted by Marginho after drilling the left side of the penalty box was connected to Yamada Shin in the center, but Hwang In-jae quickly caught the ball that flowed after the defensive contest. In the 36th minute of the first half, Marcinho himself dribbled the ball from the left side of the penalty box to the center and even tried to shoot, but it went off the goal.

He did not miss the gap between Pohang's defense. In the 38th minute of the first half, Yamada's ball from the center of the box to the right immediately led to a cross. Yamada penetrated into the box and finished with a header to score the first goal. Pohang, which allowed the first run, was shaken by the exit variable. In the 43rd minute of the first half, Aspro competed with opposing striker Yamada with one warning. After the competition, the referee confirmed the movement of kicking Yamada in the absence of the ball and immediately declared the accumulated exit of the warning. Kawasaki's 1-0 lead ended the first half.

At the beginning of the second half, Pohang took out Hong Yoon-sang and Giorgi, and put in Lee Dong-hee and Lee Ho-jae to make changes in both attack and defense. In the 11th minute of the second half, he did not let go of his counterattack by putting in Ahn Jae-joon without Lee Tae-seok. Pohang was aiming for an opportunity despite its numerical inferiority. After Lee Ho-jae's active breakthrough in the 19th minute of the second half, Eo Jung-won finished the cutback pass with a shot. As the ball flowed back to the front of the box, Auberdan calmly attempted a mid-range shot, but it rose a little over the net.

Kawasaki, which had been preventing Pohang's strong attack, ran away by widening the gap. In the 26th minute of the second half, Yasuto Wakizaka scored an additional goal in the box by finishing the ball given by Yamada with a backhill into the corner of the Pohang goal. The offensive continued. Sokawahara, who was replaced, finished the cross in the box with a sensational shot in the 29th minute of the second half to shake Pohang's net.

Kawasaki sealed the match with his fourth goal. In the 43rd minute of the second half, Erison connected a cross from deep right side of the box by YuChi Maruyama in the attack after a corner kick with an accurate header. Hwang In-jae threw himself, but the ball went straight into the goal.

In the end, the game ended with Pohang's 0-4 defeat.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.