Even at the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) stage, the top stage of Asian soccer, the K-League’s “non-dureung grass” was unveiled. Kawasaki Frontale coach Toru also expressed regret.
On the 18th, the first leg of the ACLE East Asian League Stage of the 2024-25 season between Ulsan HD and Kawasaki was held at Munsu World Cup Stadium in Ulsan.
Kawasaki, who tried to press hard from the front, beat K-League champion Ulsan with Marcino’s winning goal in the 9th minute of the second half to win 1-0.
As the two teams met at the ACLE for four consecutive seasons, they fiercely competed to target each other. Kawasaki continued to maintain a tight formation and exerted pressure on Ulsan to block its offense, which is increasing its market share, and did not miss the opportunity to win the away match in Ulsan.
However, the poor grass conditions of the K-League were noteworthy in addition to the performance of the two teams on the day. The match between Gwangju FC and Yokohama F. Marinos held at Gwangju World Cup Stadium on Sunday local time showed strong performance by scoring seven goals, and despite Gwangju’s 7-3 victory, players had difficulty exchanging passes through the grass.
The same was true of Munsu World Cup Stadium. Munsu World Cup Stadium, used as Ulsan’s home stadium, is often convenient enough for the Korean national soccer team to hold A-match games, but the grass conditions were terrible for Ulsan and Kawasaki games.
Not only this game, but also in the recent K-League game, the floor was clearly visible in places.
In the previous match between Ulsan and Gangwon FC, Yoon Il-rok, who played as a right fullback during the second half of the match, seemed to falter as he caught the ball on the floor. At the time, Yoon was regretful as he hit the floor with his hands.
After the game, both coaches pointed out their conditions at the stadium. “The players should have had ACLE schedules in good circumstances, but they played in poor conditions in the summer,” Kim said. “We have no choice but to host the event due to the hot weather in summer. We are also working hard to manage grass. I don’t think this is an area that people can do. I’m not trying to criticize anyone. I feel sorry for the players who are struggling despite tough conditions. I want to play soccer in a better environment.” 메이저사이트
Kawasaki also expressed his disappointment. “Today was the first ACLE match. Ulsan is not an easy opponent. The quality of the stadium was not the best enough for the players to play. Nevertheless, the players showed good performance in attack and defense today,” Oniki said.
When asked about the stadium, he cautiously said, “This is my personal opinion,” adding, “Both teams that played today are professional players. Players must be in a difficult situation because they have to show their characteristics on the field. Seeing such players in a row, fans have to come to the stadium together, but I don’t think those parts come out well.”