Guangzhou: Daegu FC forward Kim Dae-won has admitted that his 2019 AFC Champions League experience feels like a dream ahead of the Korean side’s Group F clash against Guangzhou Evergrande on Wednesday.
Kim scored the third goal against the Chinese Super League team on Matchday Two as tournament debutants Daegu claimed a 3-1 victory and underlined their status as genuine qualification contenders with the scalp of the two-time champions.
Just over two months on and Daegu travel to Tianhe Stadium two points ahead of their hosts in the battle for the group’s runners-up spot and knowing if they avoid defeat, a place in the last 16 will be theirs.
“It’s a very important match as it will decide who goes through to the Round of 16 so I have prepared myself mentally; we’re not here for a draw, we want to return to Korea with a win,” insisted the 22-year-old.
“When I was young, I used to watch these kind of games on the TV so now it’s so great to be part of them as a player and it still feels like I’m dreaming.
“Guangzhou are a really strong team but this is the kind of opponent I like to test myself against. I’ve been told that there are so many Guangzhou fans at every match, but we’ll not be intimidated, we’ll just play our own game.”
Group F: Daegu FC vs Guangzhou Evergrande FC
Kim was part of the Daegu side that won their first major honour when they lifted the Korean FA Cup last year and, indeed, the forward scored in the second leg of the final against Ulsan Hyundai.
Taking part in the AFC Champions League for the first time, Daegu won their opening two games by defeating Melbourne Victory and Guangzhou, before back-to-back losses to Sanfrecce Hiroshima halted their momentum.
But a 4-0 win against Melbourne two weeks ago – in which Kim netted a spectacular strike, his second goal of the campaign – put them back on track and left qualification in their own hands ahead of the trip to southern China.
FULL-TIME | Daegu FC (KOR) 4-0 @gomvfc (AUS)
An impressive display from Daegu who remain in the hunt for a last 16 spot. A winner-take-all match to come vs. Guangzhou Evergrande on Matchday Six.#DAEvMEL #ACL2019 pic.twitter.com/XlSOAWCPN0
— AFC Champions League (@TheAFCCL) May 8, 2019
“We have been focusing on the tactics that worked well in the first game against Guangzhou and we will try to score on the counter-attack,” added Kim.
“I didn’t expect us to do so well but I think we’re more organised than we were previously. We perform well because we trust each other and everyone works for the team.
“Our goal is to go as far as possible in the AFC Champions League, we want to keep winning. The tournament has been a success so far, but it will be difficult to accept going out if we lose.”
Source: the-afc.com