Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Seongnam: After a disappointing AFC Champions League opener last week, Seongnam FC coach Kim Hak-bum was in a far more positive mood following their Matchday Two victory over Japanese treble winners Gamba Osaka on Tuesday at Tancheon Sports Complex.
Brazilian forward Ricardo Bueno scored from the spot after just eight minutes of the Group F tie in Seongnam before Hwang Ui-jo doubled the advantage with 22 minutes remaining, as the Korean FA Cup winners bounced back from their Matchday One defeat to Thailand’s Buriram United.
And while Buriram lead the group after their 2-1 win over Guangzhou R&F in the day’s other game, Kim’s side now share second place with the Chinese Super League side, with a trip to the southern Chinese city upcoming in a fortnight’s time.
Match report: Seongnam FC 2-0 Gamba Osaka
“We didn’t disappoint our fans so I am very happy. And the players did well so I am satisfied with this match,” said Seongnam coach Kim, who was particularly pleased with the impact of goal-scorer Hwang.
“Hwang Ui-jo is a very good player and I decided to start him from the beginning even though I had originally thought to bring him on after half-time.
“But nothing has changed much with the squad from the last game, the players are all normal. Their physical condition is fine; they just tried their best and had fun in this match.
“We do not feel much pressure about the upcoming group games, we will just concentrate on our next match and we won’t look too far ahead just yet.”
Gamba had been looking to rebound from their own Matchday One disappointment after they had lost 2-0 at home to debutants Guangzhou in arguably the shock of the first round, but the J.League champions again came up short in a second consecutive defeat by the same scoreline.
“It was a very disappointing match, especially as we had a lot of fans who travelled here and we now have zero points from two games,” said Gamba coach Kenta Hasegawa.
“We struggled to dominate the game and Seongnam played very well and were eager to win the match. They always tried to win the ball and they have a good spirit.
“They scored a goal in the beginning of the match and then blocked our offence very well. But we will do our best in the next few games and try to qualify to the next round.”
Photo: WSG