After settling into their lodging and having dinner, they immediately held a meeting to heighten their concentration for the match.
The next day, the weather unfortunately turned bad. It was bitterly cold, with rain mixed with sleet. There was traffic congestion on the way from the lodging to Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Kaio entering the stadium with a determined expression
The players held their pre-match practice at Seoul World Cup Stadium from around 10 AM. Only the first 15 minutes were open to the media.
Sogahata and Sato practicing catching
Players warming up
After warming up, the players practiced passing and shooting. The center-backs also worked on defensive drills such as clearing the ball.
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After practice, an official press conference was held, attended by coach Toninho Cerezo and Hwang Seok-ho.
Coach Cerezo:
Both teams are at a very high level and have good players, so I expect a good match. Unfortunately, the stadium pitch is a bit uneven. I want to play good football technically, but I don't know if that's possible given the condition of the pitch. However, football isn't just about technique. I hope both teams will run hard and make it a good match. I imagine Hwang Seok-ho is very happy to be back in Korea and see his family. But we didn't come to Korea for a holiday. We came here to win tomorrow's match. I think we need his strong spirit and fighting mentality. It's very important that he's on our team. Regardless of whether he plays tomorrow, he's a member of our club, and because he's here, the players can unite as one. I don't think practicing in the morning will cause any problems for tomorrow night's match or negatively affect our condition, so I'm not worried. The match is at night, but practice was in the morning, so we couldn't check the brightness of the lights. However, that's the only thing we couldn't check, and it's not a problem. This stadium hosted the World Cup, so I don't think there will be any issues with the lighting. I'm not particularly concerned. The reason we didn't practice at night was because the forecast was for falling temperatures and rain. That's why we practiced in the morning. We're playing a match tomorrow, so even if you ask me about the opponent's strengths and weaknesses at this press conference, I can't tell you. I know FC Seoul has many very good players. I've seen each player fight with a strong spirit and soul. They have technically skilled players in midfield, and a very good balance between defense and offense. I expect us to have a tough time tomorrow. The right-sided midfielder is very aggressive in shooting and is a creative player, so we need to be careful. I'm happy to be playing against such a great club. All that's left is to play a good match.
Hwang Seok-ho:
Last year, I scored a goal against FC Seoul. This time, I don't know which players will be on the opposing team, but I hope to score a goal, and I'm looking forward to it. Even if I have friends on the opposing team, I think it's important to do my best in the world of sports.
From FC Seoul, coach Choi Yong-soo and Kim Jin-kyu attended.
Coach Choi Yong-soo:
The first match of the group stage was a disappointing away loss. It's a shame we couldn't play our game. However, all the players understand what the problems were. We have experience winning the previous two matches against Antlers, so I think tomorrow will be a good match. Both teams need to win, so it will likely be an offensive game. We might concede goals in football, but scoring goals is the most important thing. I want to score many goals tomorrow too. Antlers has many players who can score, so we need to defend well. But we want to play a game where we score. Japanese teams have excellent individual skills, and I think their use of space is good. Antlers, in particular, utilizes both wings. Although they are a Japanese team, they show a Brazilian style. They are a team with many strengths, but they must also have weaknesses. We want to play to exploit those weaknesses. A rivalry in the league makes the team stronger. I think this is good for the fans too. I believe it's the coach's responsibility to play a good match in such a good environment. It's definitely a "group of death," but we couldn't even play half of our game in the first match. Now we need to show our strong side and advance to the round of 16. We will do our best in each and every match. If we do that, I think we'll get good results.
Kim Jin-kyu:
I think Antlers is a very good team. They play offensive football and have many players who can score. Losing in the first match was disappointing, but I believe that if we fight with a strong spirit and do our best, we will definitely win. The coach has good experience, so I think we'll win if we play according to his instructions. There's no doubt that the Japanese players' fighting spirit is high. Considering that, I don't think there will be any problems if we approach the match with an even stronger fighting spirit and grit. I want to play a good match with the Japanese players.
After the press conference, FC Seoul players also held their pre-match practice.
The match kicks off tomorrow at 7:30 PM!