“We didn’t get the results we wanted last year and last game. This time, we are playing at home, so we will try to get a good result.”
Ulsan Hyundai will host Johor FC (Malaysia) at the Ulsan Munsoo World Cup Stadium at 7 p.m. on June 24 in the third match of Group I of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Champions League (ACL) for the 2023-24 season.
Ulsan are 1-1 after a 3-1 home win over Pathum United and a 0-1 loss away to Kawasaki. Johor is also 1-1 after a 0-1 loss to Kawasaki (home) and a 4-2 win over Patum (away). The Group I standings at the end of the second leg are Kawasaki (6 points), Johor (3 points), Ulsan (3 points) and Pahtum (0 points).
A day before the match, a pre-match press conference was held. Head coach Hong Myung-bo said, “We are now in the third round. We didn’t get the results we wanted last year or in the last game. This game is at home, so we will try to get a good result. This week is an important time for our team. We need to win tomorrow to raise our team’s spirits and our chances.”
Jo Hyun-woo, who represented the team, said, “We have experienced Johor last year. I think they are a good team with a lot of speed. However, we have prepared well based on our experience, so we will show our Ulsan Hyundai side at home.”
Q. Preparation for the game
A. Hong Myung-bo: “We are now in the third game. We didn’t get the results we wanted last year or in the last game. This game is at home, so we will try to get a good result. This week is an important time for our team. We need a win tomorrow to lift the mood and our chances. Our players are preparing well for this match and we are in good shape overall, so we are looking forward to a good game tomorrow.”
A. Cho Hyun-woo: “We have experienced Johor last year. I think they are a good team with a lot of speed. However, we have prepared well based on our experience, so we will show the Ulsan Hyundai team at home.”
Q. Due to last season’s result (2 losses to Johor), this year’s preparation and expectations for tomorrow’s match must be different.
A. Hong Myung-bo: “Last year, our focus was on winning the league. Because the ACL started early, it overlapped with the league and limited what we could do overall. This year, the ACL qualifiers are over, and the ACL main event starts at the beginning of next year, so our biggest goal is to pass the qualifiers.” 안전놀이터
A. Cho Hyun-woo: “Having experienced Johor last year, we know that they are a team with great counterattacks and speed. We talked a lot with our teammates yesterday and today to prepare for tomorrow’s game, so we will play a relaxed game and harass our opponent to win in front of our home fans.”
Q. What can you say about soccer in Southeast Asia, which is showing improvement with the upset at the ACL?