Hard at work: JDT’s La’vere Corbin-Ong (left) and Matthew Davies go through the drills in their preparations for the AFC Champions League match against South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai. — Photo by JDT FC
PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) are on a hot streak, having won five of their last six matches, and one defeat, a narrow 1-0 loss to Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale.
Defending Korean League champions Ulsan Hyundai, meanwhile, have not won in their last four games, losing two and drawing two. They, too, lost 0-1 to Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League.
The Korean side’s dip in form is good news for JDT as they prepare for their third (ACL) Group I game at the Munsu Football Stadium today.
The Johor side’s coach Esteban Solari said he wanted his boys to take full advantage of the Koreans’ jitters.
“We know Ulsan is not in a good moment psychologically. It’s a good opportunity to bring back a good result,” said the Argentinian.
“However, we still respect them because they have quality players. We are in our best moment and ready for battle.”
The Southern Tigers are also brimming with confidence, having beaten Ulsan twice last year in the ACL.
In their Group I matches at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri last year, JDT beat them 2-1 twice.
Solari, however, said the circumstances were different then.
“Last year, we played two games in a different situation, and both were played in Malaysia. Hyundai have a different roster now. The game will be different. We are focused on the present.
“The boys are hungry to prove themselves. We showed character against BG Pathum United and I know against Ulsan, we need personalities to show up.”
JDT beat Thailand’s BG Pathum United 3-2 on Oct 3.
“Since I came to JDT, one of the big challenges the boss (Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim) has thrown at us is to compete in the international league. We want to show our quality.
“The boys are making extra effort in training and being better than they already are. We are beginning to see some results. We are tactically intelligent and we are fit for more than 90 minutes.”
One player embodying such spirit is leftback La’vere Corbin-Ong, who is eager to help the team win their second game in the group after the win over Pathum United.
“The character runs in the team. We try to win games and dominate. We are not overconfident but we are confident of bringing something positive into the game,” said the 32-year-old.
