By Tan Boon Piaw SINGAPORE: The quarterfinal match-up between former two-time champions Korea Republic and debutants Tajikistan in the AFC U-17 Championship promises to be a cracker with both teams preferring similar attacking styles. Both teams have never met at this level before. With Korea Republic, champions in 1986 and 2002, using a 4-3-3 formation and Tajikistan playing an attacking 4-4-2, this game promises to be more than just entertaining. As the hosts of the FIFA U-17 Championship next year, the junior Taeguk Warriors are playing without any pressure while the sole team from Central Asia are aiming to qualify for the semifinals in order to book their ticket to the world meet. Korea Republic beat hosts Singapore 3-1 in their first match in Group A before winning 2-0 against Nepal next to qualify for the last eight. A 3-2 loss against Japan, however, relegated them to the position of runners-up in the group. Korea Republic reached the quarterfinals in 2004 but lost to DPR Korea. In 2002, they thrashed India 3-1 in the quarterfinals before overwhelming Uzbekistan 4-0 in the last four. In the final against Yemen, the game went to penalties after regulation time and extra time ended a goal apiece and from the spot Korea were unerring, notching up a 5-3 win. While for newcomers Tajikistan, they are the only team besides Saudi Arabia, who have perfect record in the group stages. Pulod Qodirov’s lads started the tournament with a 1-0 win against West Asian giants Iraq in the first match in Group B, beat Iran 2-1 in the second and rounded it off with a hard -fought but impressive 4-3 win against Yemen.

This match will also witness a battle of strikers between the two most impressive players in this tournament - Tajikistan “WonderkidEDavrondzhon Tukhtasunov and Korea Republic’s Ju Sung Hwan, who have scored four and three goals each respectively. After being shut down by the Iraqis in the first match, Tukhtasunov gave notice with a brace against Iran, and followed it up with another double in the last match to lead the scoring chart.

Ju, on the other hand, scored one goal against Nepal, and followed it up with two more in the match against Japan. Korea Republic coach Park Kyung Hoon rallied his troops for the crucial match. “Our defence must pay full attention throughout the match and be careful of the Tajik’s set pieces. We are not the biggest players in the world but football is not all about size, we will find a way to contain them.E “We work as a team and we fight as a team. I am optimistic of our chance of progressing to the next stage.E Tajikistan coach Pulod Qodirov was oozing confidence. “We play with no fear. We are ready for any team. We come here with only one aim--to win the cup.E “Korea Republic is a good team. But so are we. I believe that Korea Republic will man mark our chief striker Tukhtasunov, but I have every confidence in him. Mark my word, he will continue his scoring run and take the team to the semis.E