'K League Champion' briefly dominated by Japanese Kashiwa Reysol coach: "If that goal hadn't been disallowed... Korean footballers have superior physicality" [Jeonju]

*This content was translated by AI.

They missed a golden opportunity to secure three points away from home. After suffering a painful comeback defeat on foreign soil, Kashiwa Reysol head coach Ricardo Rodriguez expressed deep regret.

On the 16th, Kashiwa lost 1-2 in an away match against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium during the first match of Stage 1 of the 2026–2027 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) League.

Kashiwa took early control with a sharp opening goal by Genki Yuba in the 30th minute of the first half, dominating the game throughout that period. However, they collapsed after conceding consecutive goals to Thiago and Ihalo during Jeonbuk's fierce second-half counterattack.

In the post-match press conference, Coach Rodriguez stated, "We played well in the first half. In a difficult away match, we scored the opening goal and clearly shifted the momentum. It was a very important goal."

He added, "In the first half, we focused on creating major opportunities and managed to apply effective pressure on our opponents. However, compared to the performance shown in the J1 League, the first-half content was not entirely satisfactory."

Kashiwa began to falter early in the second half. In the third minute of the second period, during a cross from Jeonbuk's Kim Tae-hwan, Kashiwa's defense and goalkeeper collided, allowing Thiago to score an equalizing header.

Rodriguez identified this moment as a decisive turning point. He said, "Jeonbuk fought hard to equalize after entering the second half. The first goal conceded in the second period was particularly regrettable. We should have easily handled that cross situation but ended up conceding." He also noted, "Jeonbuk's linking play through their strikers was excellent."

The most painful moment came when a goal scored in the 15th minute of the second half was disallowed. Substitute Yusei Segawa rushed into the penalty area and shook the net, but after video assistant referee (VAR) review, it was ruled offside and not counted.

Coach Rodriguez said, "We continued to attack aggressively even after conceding, but our accuracy dropped." He added, "It was regrettable that a goal was disallowed for offside while we were tied 1-1. I don't know from the field why such a decision was made, but it cannot be used as an excuse. If that goal had been allowed, the entire match dynamic would have been completely different."

Following the disallowed goal, Kashiwa conceded a go-ahead goal in the 24th minute of the second half when Jeonbuk's substitute Ihalo broke through with a solo dribble and finished with a curling right-footed shot. Although they deployed attackers including Mao Hosoya to launch a full-scale assault, they could not open Jeonbuk's goal again.

Coach Rodriguez remarked, "We pushed forward aggressively after conceding, but we failed to reach the final third." He continued, "We created chances in the second half as well, but football is ultimately a sport where goals must be scored. Without clinical finishing in the second period, we could not convert our opportunities into positive results."

Regarding his impressions of facing last season's K League 1 champion Jeonbuk, he said, "Jeonbuk seemed to understand Kashiwa's strengths well and controlled the match." He acknowledged, "Their momentum improved significantly in the second half, and they pushed forward with high intensity."

Finally, Rodriguez, known as a J-League expert, commented, "Korean footballers possess strong physicality. They particularly gained the upper hand in defensive duels." He recalled, "I know Park Ji-soo, who played in Wuhan. His physical condition was indeed outstanding. We struggled in duels after Park Ji-soo entered the match."

He further added, "K League players have excellent technical skills and are also capable of playing effectively in tight spaces. It seems the J-League focuses more on technique, while the K League places greater emphasis on physicality."

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*This content was translated by AI.