Gwangju FC’s hot summer is just getting started.
Starting in mid-August, Gwangju will have to prepare for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL), which starts in September, with a shortened schedule of league and Korea Cup quarterfinals. It could be one hell of a summer for Gwangju, who have a thin squad in hot weather.
Gwangju opens the league’s 27th round against Gangwon FC at Gangneung Sports Complex on Aug. 18, followed by a home match against Ulsan HD in the first leg of the Korea Cup quarterfinals three days later. They will play Ulsan again four days later on the 25th and again three days later on the 28th for back-to-back matches. The 25th game will be at home and the 28th will be at Ulsan Munsu Soccer Stadium. 해외 카지노 사이 The first day of September will also feature an away match against Daejeon Hana Citizens.
Playing back-to-back games against Ulsan in a heatwave with temperatures exceeding 33 degrees Celsius and heat advisories and heat warnings on a daily basis is daunting enough, but what makes it even more challenging is the tight schedule that requires the team to play matches every three to four days.
This is the fate of teams that have reached high positions in cup competitions by playing multiple tournaments, but it’s a schedule that Gwangju finds particularly difficult.
Gwangju already doesn’t have a deep roster compared to other teams, and while the club sold a number of players during the summer transfer window, including the core of their squad, Uhm Ji-sung (Swansea City), they didn’t bring in any professional players as they were banned from signing players during the additional registration period due to not meeting the conditions of the financial consolidation scheme.
In the end, rotation is the answer, but Gwangju is one of those teams where rotation has its limits. In order for Gwangju to be successful, some key players will have to play more minutes on average than others, as they have been, which naturally leads to a physical strain. It’s no wonder coach Lee Jung-hyo’s head exploded.
It goes without saying that the more physical demands placed on players, the more likely the team will fall apart. When one player starts to fall, it”s easy for dominoes to fall.
Currently, Gwangju has 37 points in the league, more than 10 points clear of the relegation zone, Daejeon, Daegu and Jeonbuk, but still in danger of dropping into the Final B. The recent win over Jeonbuk Hyundai is a good thing, but they’re still in a position where they can’t afford to let their guard down.
Furthermore, the ACL injury that will start in mid-September will have an impact.
Gwangju will begin the ACL Elite East Asia League stage of the 2024-25 season on September 16-18. Their opponents are yet to be determined, but they are in the same East Asia group as other East Asian powerhouses such as Vissel Kobe, Shanghai Haigang, Central Coast, and Johor. It’s the first ACL appearance in the club’s history, but Gwangju won’t want to finish the tournament winless.
Gwangju needs to find answers again. This season, Gwangju has finally found a way to break through after losing their first six games in a row, having up-and-down performances, and losing key players to injury.
Even after the recent departure of Uhm Ji-sung, Gwangju cleaned up the wrong notes and found solutions in their own way, which led to four straight wins in official matches. A thin squad, a tight schedule, and more games are just one variable.
