KB Hot Sports: 2021 AFC Champions League fixtures unveiled as CSL big3 prepares for play-offs and group stages
With the 2021 AFC Champions League fixtures officially announced, the Chinese Super League big3 will be up for the challenge. on June 23, they will face off in the play-offs and group stage. Among them, Beijing Guoan and Guangzhou do not need to participate in the play-offs, while Shanghai Hong Kong will have to face the winner of the match between Brisbane Lions and Kaya. According to the schedule, the group stage will be a single round-robin system, with each group of players clustered in one group.
Guangzhou will play six consecutive group matches from June 24 to July 9 against Osaka Cherry Blossoms/Melbourne Victory, Thai Harbor, and Jie Zhi in Buriram United, Thailand. Beijing Guoan, on the other hand, play six consecutive group matches from June 26 to July 11 against Union City, Kawasaki Frontale and Daegu/Chiangrai United. SIPG hope to play a play-off on June 23 to advance to Group F. That playoff will take place on June 26th and run through July 11th.
As the Chinese Super League will play its 6th to 14th rounds from the end of June to the beginning of August, the Chinese Super League BIG3 is faced with the choice of having to give up the first team first, making trade-offs from the goals of Guangzhou, Beijing Guoan, and Shanghai Hong Kong for the current season and even the new season. The goal of the three teams is very clear, all efforts in the Super League and the FA Cup double line of the championship, because the two seasons will not conflict, the AFC Championship will be strategically abandoned to practice.
Beijing Guoan was the first to show its hand after the AFC Champions League schedule was announced. Yang Pu, deputy director of Beijing Guoan's youth training team, confirmed in an interview that Beijing Guoan will send its U20 youth team to participate in the AFC Champions League group stage. In the 2021 National Games, Beijing U20 team is also with Guoan U20 as the main force. 2021 National Games Beijing U20 team also with Guoan U20 as the base, this is the first time Beijing U20 youth team to participate in the official competition.
Beijing Guoan's U20 players are currently training for the U21 competition and will represent Beijing Guoan in the AFC Champions League. Yang Pu said there are other options to deal with the National Games and the AFC Champions League. If the epidemic prevents the U20 players from playing in the AFC Champions League, the U23 players will play in the AFC Champions League and the U20 players will play in the All Games. This also means that this season's AFC Champions League is destined to be "chicken ribs".
