On September 15, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors captain Kim Tae-hwan declared in a pre-match interview ahead of the opening round of the AFC Champions League Elite that his team is ready to face Japanese club Kashiwa Reysol and hopes to demonstrate superiority in physical contests.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will face Kashiwa Reysol at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on September 16, which is the opening round of the 2026-27 AFC Champions League Elite group stage.

On September 15, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors head coach Jung Jung-yong and captain Kim Tae-hwan attended a pre-match press conference.

Kim Tae-hwan said, "I was taught from childhood that no matter how small the matter, we cannot lose to Japan. The entire team is now ready and hopes to strive for victory in every detail. We will play an excellent match tomorrow."

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are participating in the AFC Champions League Elite for the first time in three years, and Kim Tae-hwan's extensive experience in continental competitions is considered highly valuable. He stated he will share the experience accumulated from previous continental tournaments with his teammates.

Kim Tae-hwan said, "I have participated in many such matches and will communicate with my teammates. The AFC Champions League Elite has a different competitive environment from the domestic league, so I always tell my teammates that even in small details, we cannot be at a disadvantage when facing Japanese teams. The team is continuing to build cohesion."

The AFC Champions League Elite group stage is divided into East and West regions, with 12 teams in each region. The top 8 teams will advance to the knockout stage. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors qualified as the 2025 K League champions and will face strong Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol in the opening round.

The two teams have met 8 times previously in Asian competitions, with Kashiwa Reysol holding a slight edge with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses. However, their most recent meeting was in 2018, when Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors defeated Kashiwa Reysol 3-2 at home. Currently, both teams are ranked third in their respective domestic leagues.

Kim Tae-hwan also praised head coach Jung Jung-yong. He stated that Jung Jung-yong has created an excellent environment for the team, the players completely trust the coaching staff, the team atmosphere is very positive, and everyone is looking forward to this match.

Kim Tae-hwan also emphasized that the team needs to quickly adapt to the different competitive environment of the AFC Champions League compared to the K League.

"We must quickly adapt to an environment different from the domestic league. Japanese teams have their strengths, and we need to limit what they do well while seeking opportunities in areas where they are weaker. Additionally, the referee's standards and the atmosphere at the stadium may also differ, so we cannot play exactly as we do in the domestic league. During the match, we need to pay attention to the referee's tendencies and adapt to the atmosphere. Through on-field communication, we can better handle these changes."

Kashiwa Reysol previously considered physical contests to be one of the strengths of Korean teams, so whether Kim Tae-hwan can play a decisive role in physical battles will also be a major focus of the match.

In response, Kim Tae-hwan stated that he actively engages in physical contests in every match and does not emphasize this particularly because the opponent is from Japan.

He said, "I always engage in physical contests quite decisively, and I do this not because the opponent is a Japanese team. Japanese teams have also significantly improved their physical contest capabilities these days, so we need to make this clear to our teammates, establish an advantage in physical battles, and display our strengths in the match."

Kim Tae-hwan is fully prepared for this Korea-Japan club showdown. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors also hope to achieve an ideal result in the opening round of the new AFC Champions League Elite season with their home-field advantage.

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