'K League representative' The Pohang Steelers managed to avoid the 'second consecutive defeat of shock'
Pohang tied 1-1 in Group H of the 2025-2026 Asian Champions League 2 (ACL2) group stage at 7 p.m. on the 6th against Tampa Bay Rovers (Singapore). Pohang, which gave Glenn Kwae the first run in the 11th minute of the second half, scored one point in the 42nd minute of the second half with Cho Sang-hyuk's dramatic equalizer. In the second half, Lee Ho-jae, Juninho, Giorgi, and Oberdan were put in a large number of key resources, and key midfielder Oberdan was injured at the end of the second half. A game that lost more than it gained. Pohang (38th), which had one draw and one loss in two consecutive games against Tampa Bay, ranked 378th in the "Football Database" rankings, maintained its second place after Tampa Bay with two wins, one draw and one loss and seven points.
Pohang has a starting lineup of 100 percent native players. Ahn Jae-joon, Kang Hyun-je, Baek Sung-dong took over as a three-top in the 3-4-3 formation, and Kim Jong-woo and Kim Dong-jin came out as a central midfielder duo. Kim In-sung Cho Jae-hoon was in both wingback positions, and Park Chan-yong, Lee Dong-hee, and Park Seung-wook lined up as three backs. Yoon Pyeong-guk defended the goal. Compared to the K-League 1 match against Gimcheon Sangmu held on the 1st, the starting eight spots were changed. Veteran duo Ki Sung-yueng Shin Kwang-hoon was excluded from the entry to rest.
Pohang took advantage of Kim In-sung's speedy speed early in the first half to find a way out from the right. In the 5th minute, Cho Jae-hoon connected Kim In-sung's right cross with a right-footed shot from the left side of the box, but he was blocked by goalkeeper Buhari and swallowed the disappointment. In the 14th and 16th minutes, Kang Hyun-je and Kim In-sung's shooting attempts were not enough to threaten the opponent's goal, but the situation was different in the 19th minute. Kim Dong-jin's free kick sharply bent into the right corner of the goal, but the goalkeeper blew himself and saved it.
In the 35th minute, it was connected to Pohang Cho Jae-hoon that the opposing defender cleared Baek Sung-dong's cross that penetrated deep to the left side of the opponent's camp. Cho Jae-hoon, who caught the ball, tried to shoot with his right foot at the top of the goal, but it came up on the net. A crisis came after the opportunity. In the 45th minute, Higashikawa Hide had a decisive chance as Pohang's defense handled the ball poorly in the penalty area. From Pohang's point of view, Higashikawa's shot hit the post. The first half ended in a 0-0 draw.
Pohang coach Park Tae-ha took out Ahn Jae-joon, Kang Hyun-je, and Kim In-sung at half-time and put in Lee Ho-jae Auberdan and Juningyo to set up a winning move early. Kim Jong-woo's mid-range shot in the third minute rolled weakly toward the goal, and Kim Dong-jin's mid-range shot in the seventh minute went off the post. In the 11th minute, Pohang scored the first goal at an unexpected time. Kwe, who received Higashikawa's pass in the counterattack situation, quickly entered the Pohang box and shook the net by attempting a left-footed shot to escape Yoon Pyeong-guk, who ran out.
Pohang, who fought back, cried at the bad luck of the goal. In the 15th minute, Oberdan, who received Lee Dong-hee's header pass, headed back for the goal near the goal area, but hit the crossbar. Baek Sung-dong's left foot volley in the 16th minute was blocked by the goalkeeper. In a hurry, Pohang called Baek Sung-dong to the bench in the 19th minute and put in Giorgi. 21 min Auverdan's mid-range shot went off the post. Tampinis filled the stadium with energy by replacing Kwewa Higashigawa, who led the attack. Pohang also put forward striker Cho Sang-hyuk without midfielder Kim Jong-woo in the 31st minute and built a 'Triple Tower' at the front line.
An impatient Pohang repeated his mistakes. In the 34th minute, Lee Dong-hee tried to back pass the ball in the air toward the goalkeeper, but it was cut off. As soon as Trent's subordinate, who immediately counterattacked, shot, Lee Dong-hee, who followed, cleared the shot with a tackle. Opportunity came after the crisis. In the 42nd minute of the second half, Auberdan's shot aimed at the bottom of the goal hit the goalkeeper and fell in front of Cho Sang-hyuk. Cho Sang-hyuk scored the equalizer with a calm shot.
In the 45th minute, Park Chan-yong, who participated in the attack, connected Cho Jae-hoon's cross with a no-mark header, but it slightly rose above the net. To make matters worse, Auberdan collapsed with a leg injury 2 minutes into extra time. Oberdan, who stepped back to the bench, complained of pain, cradling his face with his hands. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Meanwhile, all four K-League dragons, who played in the ACL due to Pohang's draw, failed to win. Ulsan HD and Gangwon FC lost 0-1 in the Asian Champions League Elite (ACLE) league stage against J-League clubs Vissel Kobe and Sanfrecce Hiroshima, respectively, while FC Seoul drew 0-0 at home with China's Chengdu Longcheng. Ulsan, Gangwon, and Seoul ranked fourth, fifth, and ninth in the ACLE League Stage. The eighth place is the cut line for the round of 16. No team has stood out for sure.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
