Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea takes on
Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates on Saturday in the first leg of the
2016 Asian Champions League final. Let's look at the big questions ahead
of the game.
1. Can Jeonbuk shake off domestic disappointment?
The Greens were 14 points clear at the
top of the K-League table with six games to go in September, but were
then docked nine points by authorities after a club scout was convicted
of bribing referees in 2013. Add a first wobble in form in the whole
season and a last day defeat to second-placed FC Seoul, and you can see
why it was all so heartbreaking.
A third successive title was lost then
and it remains to be seen how this affects the best team in South Korea.
It is two weeks since the loss to Seoul and the Motors have to pick
themselves up for the first leg to take something to the Middle East for
the second on Nov. 26.
2. Can Omar Abdulrahman recover from World Cup exertions?
While it is nice to have the second leg
at home, Jeonbuk will not be too sorry to have this game at home. Five
of its players were on international duty this week but they were up in
Seoul, a two hour train journey. Al Ain had four in Abu Dhabi as the UAE
beat Iraq.
Omar Abdulrahman is the team's talisman
and was limping as he left the stadium on Tuesday. The team made the
long trip to a chilly Korea on Wednesday meaning that there has not been
much time to prepare. Abdulrahman, who has interested Manchester City,
Arsenal and Barcelona in the past, should be fit to start but it is not
ideal. If he is not at his best then Al Ain may struggle. Regardless,
Jeonbuk will be watching him closely.
3. Can Lee Dong-gook break his own record?
The Korean striker has scored 32 goals in
this competition, more than any other player. Now 37, he has admitted
that this is likely to be his last chance to win in Asia.
He was a Pohang player in 2006 when
Jeonbuk lifted the trophy, but played in the 2011 final that the Greens
lost to Al Sadd of Qatar in a penalty shootout. The veteran gets less
playing time these days but is often brought on when Jeonbuk need a goal
and is still sharp as five goals in seven appearances this year shows.
What he lacks in speed this days, he makes up for in positioning and
composure. There will be no player so desperate to score as the former
Middlesbrough marksman.
4. Can Al Ain fly the flag for West Asia again?
'The Boss', as they are nicknamed, won
the inaugural trophy in 2003 before losing the final in 2005 to Al
Ittihad of Saudi Arabia. West Asia looked ready to dominate the
competition after three straight wins. Since then, however, only Al
Sadd's 2011 triumph took the prize back to the west.
Eastern dominance has become the order of
the day, but if Al Ain can take something from the first leg, they will
be in a fine position to celebrate, not just a second success of their
own but put the pride back into west Asian club football. The tournament
was split geographically in 2014 and kept apart until the final to help
West Asian teams, but Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia and UAE's Al Ahli could
not take the trophy.
5. Can Jeonbuk's Brazilians shine?
The Motors have a raft of talented Korean
players: Kim bo-kyung and Lee Jae-sung make for one of the finest
midfield pairings in Asia but the Brazilians add real class.
Leonardo is the second top scorer in the
tournament this year and the winger has tormented Shanghai SIPG,
Melbourne Victory and FC Seoul defences in the knockout stages. His
performances slipped somewhat in the final stages of the domestic season
but if he can find his earlier form then Al Ain will be in for a tough
night. There is also compatriot Ricardo Lopes.
This speedy wingman has also reserved
some of his best performances in 2016 for Asia and it has often been the
case that if Leonardo doesn't get you, Lopes will. Sometimes they both
do.
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