Al-Hilal ready for historic final against Pohang Steelers

Both teams have a chance to make history as the most successful in Asia, yet both teams only made it out of the group stage by the narrowest of margins — nothing can be taken for granted.

The odds favor the Saudi Arabians and not just because the game will take place on home turf in front of over 60,000 fans who snapped up tickets in just five minutes, driving prices on the black market up to over $268.

The club’s injury situation has cleared up. Left-back Yasser Al-Shahrani and center-back Jang Hyun-soo are expected to be fit, as is Nasser Al-Dossari. Fellow defender Ali Al-Bulaihi is injured, but as he was suspended for the big game anyway, that will not be a major issue.

Al-Hilal enter the game in fine form. They are unbeaten in 17 games in all competitions and are well placed to defend their Saudi league title despite the continental exertions. The crescent may be favorites but would be wise to remember that they made it through the group stage by the skin of their teeth. The team finished second but made it to the last 16 as the third of the best three runners-up only by virtue of scoring more goals than Al-Sadd.

They have not looked back, with fairly comfortable wins over Iranian giants Esteghlal and Persepolis in the second round and quarter-final respectively. Then came the massive semifinal against Riyadh rivals Al-Nassr and a deserved 2-1 win.

“The players have performed very well to get here,” said coach Leonardo Jardim, who was appointed in June after the team had negotiated the group stage. “Finals are always a highlight of a player’s career and a privilege to play in, but we are taking nothing for granted. Pohang are a successful team and any team that has made it into the final will be a strong opponent and we know that Korean football is very strong.”

Pohang, however, are not nearly in such good form domestically as the hosts. Al-Hilal may be unbeaten in 17 but the Steelers have lost an amazing seven of the last nine in the K-League. The only saving grace to the season is the run in Asia where the team managed to upset opponents who were expected to win. The Koreans finished second in the group behind Nagoya Grampus, and, like Al-Hilal, scraped through to the last sixteen as the third of the three best runners-up in the eastern zone.

The visitors, who defeated Jeddah giants Al-Ittihad in the 2009 final, will be without forward Lee Seung-mo, who scored against both Nagoya and Cerezo. He is not allowed to leave South Korea until he finishes his military service.

The goalscoring burden will fall mainly on the shoulders of Lim Sang-hyub, who has found the target 10 times in the K-League. He is looking forward to the challenge of silencing the Riyadh fans.

“Obviously, the best case scenario for me is to score a goal in our victory,” Lim said. “But even if I don’t score, I want to help the club first. This is the biggest match of my career, and it will mean the world to me if we can pull it off.

“We know that it will be difficult, but we have already beaten the defending champions of Asia in the last round and we are looking forward to the next challenge.”

Pohang offer a goal threat from elsewhere on the pitch. Australian defender Alex Grant headed the last-minute equalizer in the semifinal to take the game against Ulsan into extra-time, and ultimately, the penalty shootout victory.

While most in Korea think that the one-legged format of the final will undoubtedly help the home team, Grant told the K-League’s official site that playing in front of 60,000 Al-Hilal fans may benefit the visitors more, especially if Pohang can make a good start.

“I think one leg plays into our advantage, massively, and also the fact that we’re playing in Saudi, because from what I’ve seen on TV, if for the home team, things aren’t going particularly well for them in the game, it’s quite a hostile environment. It seems that fans will probably start getting on their back.

“It’d be nice, wouldn’t it, for the club to kind of go outright and have four titles in the Champions League, and leave Al-Hilal on three?”