Pohang Steelers reach AFC Champions League knockouts undefeated

The Pohang Steelers’ unbeaten streak in the AFC Champions League continued on Wednesday after a 1-1 draw with Wuhan Three Towns, reaching the knockout stage as the only undefeated K League team with five wins and one draw.

The Pohang Steelers' Ha Chang-rae, right, in action during an AFC Champions League match against Wuhan Three Towns at Wuhan Sports Center Stadium in Wuhan, China on Wednesday. [AFC]

The Pohang Steelers’ unbeaten streak in the AFC Champions League continued on Wednesday after a 1-1 draw with Wuhan Three Towns, reaching the knockout stage as the only undefeated K League team with five wins and one draw.

The Steelers' final group stage match at Wuhan Sports Center Stadium in China was another formality for the Pohang side who had already locked in a spot in the Round of 16 as Group J winners on Nov. 8 with two matches left to go.

The Steelers started the relatively young squad for the game, with 20-year-old midfielder Kim Jun-jo and 19-year-old defender Lee Gyu-baek on the pitch.

There was not much excitement in the first half with both sides failing to open the scoring through half time. Both goals of the match then came from the Steelers in the second half, as Lee Gyu-baek scored an own goal in the 49th minute, followed by Lee Ho-jae’s equalizer in the 77th minute.

The 1-1 draw ended Three Towns' run in the Champions League as the last-place team in Group J with one win, two draws and three losses.

It also cut the Steelers’ five-game winning streak in the group stage, but it was still the best run by any K League team.

The three other K League teams competing in this season’s Champions League — Ulsan Hyundai, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Incheon United — are all runners-up in their respective groups with two losses apiece in the group stage as of Thursday and may fail to reach the knockout stage.

In the Champions League, 10 group winners and three best runners-up from each region — East Asia and West Asia — reach the Round of 16.

The Steelers’ remarkable run in the Champions League does not come as a surprise, considering that they were one of the best teams in Korea this year.

The Pohang side was not only the 2023 FA Cup champions, but they also finished as K League 1 runners-up.

Winning the Champions League this season would make the Steelers the joint-winningest team in tournament history with four titles alongside Al Hilal SFC from Saudi Arabia.

The last time the Pohang side won the title was back in 2009, and their best finish since then was as runners-up in 2021.

The draw for the Champions League knockout stage will take place on Dec. 28, and the Round of 16 matches will begin in February next year. Before that, the three other K League sides will vie for a spot in the knockout stage and are set to play their final group stage matches next week.

This season’s K League winners Ulsan will face Kawasaki Frontale in Ulsan on Dec. 12.

Jeonbuk will then take on Bangkok United in Jeonju, North Jeolla on Dec. 13, the same day Incheon play Kaya FC in the Philippines.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]