Weltnachrichten – AU – Beijing, Tokyo want to break new ground in the round of 16

One of Beijing FC or FC Tokyo will become AFC Champions League quarter-finalist for the first time when they meet in the round of 16 today at Education City Stadium. Beijing was an undefeated Group E winner with a club record of 16 points and one of the standout teams in the group stage. However, you need to buck a historical trend to keep ahead of the competition. The Chinese team have made it to the round of 16 on three separate occasions – the last time in 2015 – but fell at the first hurdle each time, with all three losses to the Korean opposition. Head coach Bruno Genesio said Beijing is determined to break new ground in the AFC Champions League. « It is a very good opportunity for me and the club to set a new record in the club’s history. We have a very good opportunity, ”said Genesio. “I hope all of my players will focus on how we play the game rather than just thinking about the outcome. I think if our players do very well we have a good chance of getting the result and the chance to qualify for the next round is an extra motivation for our players. We don’t think of something negative like pressure, we are motivated by it. « Alternatively, the place of FC Tokyo was only secured in the last 16 in the last group game on Thursday. The 2019 J League runner-up secured promotion with a 1-0 win over Perth Glory. « . Like Beijing, Tokyo never made it past the round of 16 and suffered a 1-0 defeat in their first appearance against Guangzhou Evergrande in 2012 before suffering an away goal against Shanghai SIPG four years later. Both defeats came to the Chinese opposition and both in the Olympic years, but as the people of Tokyo know better than almost anyone, 2020 rarely followed the script. Head coach Kenta Hasegawa isn’t worried about the history of the AFC Champions League in Tokyo, however. « I think both teams are in the same situation, Beijing has never qualified from the round of 16, so the situation is the same for both teams, » said Hasegawa. “I know that they are a strong team and we have to use all our strength to win tomorrow. There are different types of Chinese teams that have their own strengths. Mainly we can see that (Beijing) has very high quality foreigners who are also united with some good Chinese players, ”he added. Working against Tokyo FC is the prolonged absence of Diego Oliveira, who since his injury against Shanghai Shenhua on Jan.. November has not appeared again. While Tokyo has yet to confirm whether the 30-year-old will play another role at this year’s tournament, compatriots Brazil Leandro and Adailton have contributed in his absence, both of which are key goals for the club’s knockout round. Ulsan wants to stay on track against Melbourne Victory In another match of the last 16, fit, focused and fresh from a hot group stage, Ulsan Hyundai FC will face Australia’s Melbourne Victory at Education City Stadium today. Kim Do-hoon’s side were frustrated that they had narrowly missed out on national league and cup honors. She was untouchable in Doha, winning all five games since arriving in the capital of Qatar for a total of 16 points from six games. Their dominance in Group F was so great that an Ulsan team with only one of the eleven players from their previous game on Thursday scored a 4-1 win over Shanghai Shenhua in a game where the Chinese team fought to stay alive in the tournament. While Junior Negrao scored 26 goals in the K League this season, the goals came from all over Asia. Ulsan has hit a tournament high of 14, with midfielder Yoon Bit-garam being one of four players in the squad with four goals who hit the back of the net several times in the group stage. This impressive assortment of assault weapons gives the Korean side the confidence to end a string of knockout rounds that left them out of the competition for the last two seasons. The story that speaks for Ulsan comes from their previous meetings with Melbourne, in which the Koreans won 6-2 in the group stage in 2018 and drew 3-3.

Beijing Sinobo Guoan F. . C.. . , FC Tokyo, AFC Champions League, FC Ulsan Hyundai, Bruno Génésio