AFC Champions League Group Stage 2: Guoan face Kawasaki
Face-off time: June 30, 2021 00:00 (Beijing time)
Venue: Tashkent Lokomotiv Stadium
On the eve of the match, head coach Jankovic attended a pre-match press conference with player Guo Quanbo.
Facing the upcoming opponent Kawasaki Frontale, Jankovic said: "Tomorrow is our second match in the AFC Champions League, and the strength of the opponent should not be underestimated. Even though the first team is playing, it's hard to guarantee a win. I hope my players can go all out tomorrow and show the results from training."
Speaking about how to keep the whole team focused, Jankovic emphasized: "It's a big challenge for our team to concentrate, especially in the top Asian league. If we can keep our concentration throughout the game, we might be able to surprise the audience. The young players are inexperienced, which is normal in the game. We will do our best to help them, especially in defense where concentration must be high."
At the end of the first game, Guoan juniors appeared to cramp, some media asked Jankovic how to adjust the players' physical fitness. He responded: "It is true that cramps at the end of the game will affect the rhythm of the game. But I would like to point out that even in domestic matches, opponents of the same age group will have similar situations. The AFC Champions League is the top tournament in Asia and the intensity and psychological pressure of the game is different from the past. We don't think the team has a problem with physical fitness, but how to adjust the players' mentality so that they can reasonably distribute their physical fitness during the 90 minutes is what our coaching staff needs to think about."
Guo Quanbo attended the pre-match briefing along with Jankovic, and when talking about the team's mentality, Guo Quanbo said, "This time, when we participate in the AFC Champions League, our team holds the mentality of learning. The opportunity to participate in such a high level of competition is rare, and everyone should cherish it."
As one of the more senior players on the team, Guo Quanbo shared how he helps his teammates both on and off the field, "The opponents in the AFC Champions League are all very strong, and as a goalkeeper I need to command the defense and remind my teammates to keep their focus in defense. Off the field, I hope all the players can enjoy such a high-level tournament and show their strength."
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