Buriram must break Korean curse to qualify
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Buriram United president Newin Chidchob has reiterated that his Thai treble winners will be going all-out for a win in a last-ditch bid to scrape into the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League for the second season in a row.
Going into their final Group E fixture against South Korea’s Pohang Steelers, Buriram find themselves in a three-way scrap for the remaining qualification spot, level on five points with Japan’s Cerezo Osaka and Shandong Luneng of China.
Victory over already-qualified Pohang at their Steelyard Stadium today would put the Thai Premier League club in the driving seat for a berth in the last-16 of the continent’s elite club competition.
If the Thais do win for the first time on Korean soil, they must hope Cerezo fail to beat Shandong in the group’s other match in Jinan, China. In the event both games end in a draw, a “mini league” calculation would be required to determine who follows the Korean double winners into the first knockout round.
With his side yet to taste success in two visits to South Korea, Newin is under no illusion of the magnitude of the task against a Pohang side with an unbeaten home record of seven wins and one draw against Thai opposition.
“I think it will still be a tough match even if Pohang field reserve players,” said Nevin. “Those second-choice players will want to make an impression. So whatever Pohang side we face, it’s a difficult match for us.
Newin revealed his team would be fighting not only for their own cause but also their country’s, given that Buriram’s results will be taken into account when Asian soccer’s ruling body, the AFC, allocates spots for each country in next season’s competition.
“Our sole target for this match is a win.
“Buriram play to the maximum in every Champions League match because every point we earn is important when it comes to gaining berths for each country in the competition. So, we’ll fight for the club and the country. It’s another matter whether we make it through to the next round or not.”
