AFC Champions League Round of 16: Shandong Taishan Faces Tough Challenge Away, Jeonbuk Hyundai's Foreign Players Hold the Key

The second leg of the AFC Champions League Round of 16 will take place on the afternoon of February 20th, Beijing time. Shandong Taishan, unable to leverage the poor pitch quality of their home ground to suppress Kawasaki Frontale’s technical superiority in the first leg, will face an even tougher challenge in the away leg. Meanwhile, Jeonbuk Hyundai’s new foreign player, Hernández, made a strong impression in his debut match, posing a significant threat to Pohang Steelers in the upcoming second leg.

Kawasaki Frontale vs. Shandong Taishan - Shandong's Missed Opportunity

In the first leg at home, Shandong Taishan missed a golden opportunity to secure a win. The team started aggressively, utilizing their familiarity with the pitch to dominate early play. They managed to intercept the ball in key areas of the midfield several times but were let down by poor final passes and shots, squandering their best chances to take the lead. About 20 minutes into the game, Kawasaki Frontale began to assert their dominance. Their attacking play was more structured, and by the 30-minute mark, they were already two goals ahead.

The second half saw an improvement in Shandong’s performance with the introduction of Fernando at the 60-minute mark. His presence revitalized Shandong’s attack, and he quickly pulled one back, boosting the team’s morale. Unfortunately, defensive errors, including conceding a penalty in the first half, led to another goal for Kawasaki, resulting in a narrow 2-3 defeat for Shandong.

The dry winter weather had left the pitch at the Luneng Big Stadium in poor condition. Shandong hoped to use this to their advantage to hinder Kawasaki’s technical play. Initially, Kawasaki struggled with the unfamiliar surface, but they quickly adapted. After all, Kawasaki had experience playing on subpar pitches, especially against lower-tier teams in Japan, and adapting to Shandong’s pitch was not an insurmountable challenge for them.

Fernando’s impact was immediate, making Shandong’s attack more threatening. This led many fans to question why he didn’t start the game. However, Fernando later revealed that playing longer periods increased his risk of injury. Although he picked up a slight injury, it wasn’t serious, and he is expected to come off the bench again, likely not playing more than 30 minutes.

J.League matches start this weekend, and Kawasaki Frontale played last season’s league champions, Vissel Kobe, in the Japanese Super Cup last weekend. Judging by the starting lineup, Kawasaki treated this match as a warm-up, with none of the 11 players who started against Shandong in the ACL match starting in the Super Cup. In contrast, Vissel Kobe fielded at least half of their main players, yet Kawasaki still managed a 1-0 victory.

Kawasaki has been in a rebuilding phase for the past two seasons, and it’s uncertain if they’ll complete this process this season, giving Shandong some hope. However, with the away goals rule still in effect in this year’s ACL, Shandong needs to score even more than in the first leg, which is a tall order against Kawasaki. Kawasaki is expected to secure a 3-1 victory in the second leg.

Pohang Steelers vs. Jeonbuk Hyundai - Foreign Players as Decisive Factors

Pohang Steelers finished as runners-up in the K League 1 and won the Korean FA Cup last season. Their squad is well-gelled, although some of their foreign players were poached by the Chinese Super League. However, the core domestic players remain, and their overall strength hasn't changed much.

Despite this, Pohang was highly passive in their match against Jeonbuk Hyundai, with their attack posing little threat. George, brought in from K2 League’s Cheongju FC to replace Zeca, performed clumsily, negating his physical advantage. Although Jeonbuk’s defenders struggled to physically match him, they used smart physical play to disrupt his control, causing him to lose possession frequently.

Coach Park Tae-ha, adhering to a "trust in the player" principle, did not substitute George even when trailing. Instead, he relied more on him, instructing other players to send high balls his way, but this tactic was ineffective. The poor quality of the crosses was one of the main reasons George couldn’t create any threats.

Pohang’s foreign player changes were forced, while Jeonbuk Hyundai made significant investments, spending $2.7 million to bring in two attacking foreign players. Last season’s K League 1 top scorer, Gustavo, no longer needs to prove himself, and new signing winger Hernández scored in his debut for Jeonbuk. With Gustavo providing cover, Hernández was highly threatening. Despite Pohang’s four wins and one draw against Jeonbuk in domestic competitions last season, they couldn’t translate this success to the ACL stage. Even in a highly professional league like the K League 1, foreign players remain decisive factors in a team’s success or failure.

Pohang’s attack looked extremely weak, making it unlikely they can overturn the two-goal deficit. Jeonbuk Hyundai is poised to secure another 1-0 victory against Pohang.

Conclusion

The upcoming second legs of the AFC Champions League Round of 16 present contrasting challenges for Shandong Taishan and Jeonbuk Hyundai. Shandong faces a daunting task away from home against a technically superior Kawasaki Frontale, while Jeonbuk Hyundai’s smart investments in foreign players give them the edge over Pohang Steelers. The outcomes of these matches will not only decide who advances but also highlight the critical impact of strategic planning and player investments in modern football.