'One step from the final': Melbourne and Tokyo to face off in Suwon, "Expectations high for challenging for Asian supremacy" [Suwon]

*This content was translated by AI.

Top women's club teams from Australia and Japan will engage in a decisive battle for the Asian champion title.

Melbourne City FC of Australia and Tokyo Verdy Beleza of Japan will play a single-match AFC Women's Champions League (AWCL) semi-final at 2 p.m. on the 20th at Suwon Sports Complex.

This is a narrow path where the top spot in Asia and a prize money of $1 million (approximately 1.5 billion won) are at stake. On the morning of the 19th, one day before the decisive match, the two teams' head coaches and key players attended an official press conference held at Suwon Sports Complex and issued resolute statements of intent.

First to take the microphone, Melbourne coach Michael Matrisciani smiled, saying, "I am satisfied with the environment in Korea. The weather is also very good. We conducted our first training session yesterday. I was satisfied with the previous tournament as well, and I have high expectations for this one."

Melbourne advanced through the group stage in Myanmar and then undertook a grueling long-distance journey to Korea. Rebecca Stott said, "The flight time was a bit long, so I am tired," but added, "Long-haul flights have become familiar to me now. The staff are providing a lot of support. We are looking forward to a good match."

The memory of narrowly falling in the previous tournament after a penalty shootout has instead become a source of strength. Coach Matrisciani emphasized, "The penalty shootout defeat in the previous tournament was a special experience. It was a positive aspect for the team," and added, "We want to focus on this tournament and achieve good results."

In response, Tokyo Verdy coach Naoki Kusunose also revealed a strong ambition for the championship. Coach Kusunose stated, "It is an honor to participate in this tournament. We have prepared extensively. We will definitely achieve good results and prove ourselves on the world stage."

Regarding the opposing Melbourne, he noted, "They are a team with good strength and speed. We have prepared various countermeasures. They are a very good team," while cautioning, "We are not championship favorites. Suwon FC Women, our hometown team, and Melbourne are all good teams. We must do our best," he analyzed.

Veteran Asa Iwashimizu, leading the team, showed unique motivation. Having played in the Asian Cup and World Cup, Iwashimizu said, "I am happy to participate in this tournament. The fact that we have reached this far is thanks to my teammates. If we become Asian champions, I will be truly happy." She added, "Among the teams that reached the semi-finals, we had to analyze Melbourne the most. I am confident about the match. We have made many efforts to overcome the opponent's height and speed. We will do our best," expressing her confidence.

She continued, "I have a lot of experience in international tournaments. I have pride in being a Japanese representative, which was a great source of motivation. This season may be my last in Tokyo. The motivation to become Asian champions is strong. The desire to definitely win in this match will also grow," she added.

For both teams, this semi-final is a completely new test. Tokyo has faced North Korea's Haeju Women's Football Club and Korea's Suwon FC Women in the group stage of this tournament, but this is their first time competing against Melbourne from the Australian continent.

The team that wins this single-match semi-final will face the winner of the match between Haeju Women's Football Club and Suwon FC Women, which will be held at 7 p.m. on the same day.

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*This content was translated by AI.