The tension was palpable at Chuncheon Songam Sports Town on the evening of March 3, 2026, as Gangwon FC hosted Japan’s Machida Zelvia in the first leg of the 2025-26 AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) Round of 16. With both teams seeking a crucial advantage in this home-and-away knockout tie, the match unfolded as a tactical chess match, ending in a hard-fought 0-0 draw that leaves everything to play for in the return leg in Japan.
Gangwon FC, under the direction of head coach Jung Kyung-ho, fielded a strong starting lineup featuring Seo Min-woo, Go Young-jun, Lee Ki-hyuk, Park Sang-hyuk, Lee Seung-won, Song Jun-seok, Mo Jae-hyun, Shin Min-ha, Kang Jun-hyuk, Park Ho-young, and goalkeeper Park Cheong-hyo. The bench was stacked with options, including Kim Dae-won, Kang Yoon-gu, Jo Hyun-tae, Kang Tu-ji, Lee Hyo-bin, Kim Do-hyun, Lee Ji-ho, Lee Eun-ho, Abdullah, Kim Jeong-hoon, Choi Byung-chan, and Lee Yoo-hyun, whose return from injury was a welcome boost.
The visitors, Machida Zelvia, arrived in Korea with a reputation as one of the most stable and dynamic teams in the tournament. Their starting eleven featured Tete Yengi, Nakamura Hotaka, Okamura Daihachi, Nakayama Yuta, Shimoda Hokuto, Maeh Hiroyuki, Na Sang-ho, Soma Yuki, Mochizuki Henry, Shoji Gen, and goalkeeper Tani Kosei. Having won the J2 League in 2023 and immediately establishing themselves as contenders in the J1 League, Machida brought a blend of high defensive lines, relentless pressing, and rapid transitions that have become their trademark.
Gangwon, still searching for their first win of the season after two 0-0 draws in the ACLE league stage and a 1-3 defeat to Ulsan in the K League 1 opener, knew that a positive result at home was vital. The early exchanges reflected their urgency. In the 6th minute, Lee Ki-hyuk’s central pass found Go Young-jun, whose ambitious right-footed shot sailed just wide of the target. That early attempt set the tone for a first half where both sides probed for weaknesses, but neither could find the breakthrough.
Machida’s own threat was evident in the 13th minute when Na Sang-ho connected with a volley from a corner, only to see his effort drift narrowly wide. Gangwon responded by gradually increasing their possession and attacking intent, with Lee Seung-won orchestrating midfield play and combining with Park Sang-hyuk and others to push the tempo. Song Jun-seok’s interception and drive into the box in the 26th minute led to a blocked shot, while another promising move moments later saw Park Sang-hyuk denied by the Machida defense.
Set-pieces provided flashes of danger. In the 29th minute, Mo Jae-hyun’s sharp delivery from a free kick forced a quick intervention from Tani Kosei, Machida’s alert goalkeeper. The visitors nearly capitalized on a loose ball in the 32nd minute, but Nakayama Yuta’s powerful strike was deflected by the Gangwon backline. The most dramatic moment of the first half came in the 44th minute, when Machida’s Maeh Hiroyuki found himself one-on-one in the box, only for Park Cheong-hyo to make a sensational save, diving at full stretch to keep the scores level.
As the teams went into halftime locked at 0-0, the sense grew that a single moment of quality or luck could swing the tie. Coach Jung Kyung-ho, aware of Machida’s high-pressing style, had warned before the match, “Their pressing is very strong. We need to think hard about how to break through it.” According to the coach, the entire squad was motivated by the prospect of reaching the quarterfinals, emphasizing, “All of our motivation is heading to the quarterfinals. We’ll do our best to get a good result at home before heading away.”
The second half saw Machida start aggressively, with Soma Yuki’s free kick in the 52nd minute whistling just past the post. Sensing the need for fresh attacking impetus, Machida introduced Fujio Shota and Nishimura Takuma for Na Sang-ho and Yengi in the 58th minute. Gangwon responded in kind, bringing on Abdullah for Park Sang-hyuk in a bid to unlock the Japanese defense.
The match’s intensity ratcheted up as both managers made tactical adjustments. Gangwon’s double substitution in the 71st minute—Kim Dae-won and Kang Yoon-gu replacing Mo Jae-hyun and Go Young-jun—was designed to inject pace and width, but Machida’s high defensive line and pressing continued to stifle clear-cut chances. The visitors, meanwhile, maintained their composure, using the flanks and quick interchanges to unsettle Gangwon’s defense, with national team players Soma and Na Sang-ho orchestrating attacks from the wings.
Yet, for all the tactical maneuvering, the match’s defining moment belonged to Gangwon’s Abdullah. In the 81st minute, he latched onto a long pass inside the box, only to sky his left-footed shot over the bar. Moments later, he unleashed a right-footed volley from outside the box that fizzed just wide, drawing gasps from the home supporters. The agony peaked in the 88th minute when Abdullah’s fierce strike from the left side of the penalty area was tipped by Tani Kosei onto the post—a heart-stopping near miss that summed up Gangwon’s night.
Both teams pressed for a late winner, but the defenses held firm. Gangwon’s Park Cheong-hyo, already the hero of the first half, remained vigilant as Machida pushed forward in stoppage time. After three additional minutes, the referee’s whistle confirmed the 0-0 stalemate.
This result leaves the tie finely balanced ahead of the decisive second leg in Japan on March 10, 2026. For Gangwon, the away fixture will be a true test of their resolve and ambition to make further history in their first-ever Asian knockout campaign. With captain Lee Yoo-hyun back in the fold and offensive talents like Go Young-jun and Kim Dae-won ready to step up, the team’s focus now shifts to breaking their scoring drought and seizing their chance on foreign soil.
As the dust settles in Chuncheon, both sets of fans are left to ponder what might have been—and what could yet be in a tie that promises more drama. The journey to the ACLE quarterfinals is still wide open, and all eyes now turn to the showdown in Japan, where every moment will count.