Tournament debutants Gangwon FC and FC Machida Zelvia fought to a 0-0 draw in the first leg of their AFC Champions League Elite 2025/26 Round of 16 at Chuncheon Songam Sports Town Stadium, Chuncheon.
Machida Zelvia, who famously topped the East Zone League Stage, looked to assert their authority early. The Japanese side found joy on the flanks but struggled to convert their aerial superiority into goals.
Just 10 minutes in, an unmarked Yuki Soma had a golden opportunity to silence the home crowd, but his header from a Gen Shoji cross sailed over the bar.
Gangwon’s custodian, Park Chung-hyo, was kept busy, dealing with efforts from Na Sang-ho and Daihachi Okamura. His standout moment came just before the break, producing a stunning instinctive save to deny Hotaka Nakamura from point-blank range.
Gangwon, meanwhile, struggled to find their offensive rhythm, failing to register a single shot on target in the opening 25 minutes as the Machida backline stood firm.
The second half followed a similar pattern of “hit and hope,” with both defenses refusing to blink. Machida continued to edge the possession, with Soma sending a dangerous free-kick inches wide, but they couldn’t find the clinical final ball.
Gangwon boss turned to his bench, introducing four fresh pairs of legs to inject life into the attack. The gamble almost paid off through substitute Abdalla Halaihal:
In the 81st Minute, Halaihal thought he’d broken the deadlock, but the linesman’s flag for offside cut the celebrations short.
In the 88th Minute, the game’s biggest “what if” moment. Halaihal unleashed a stinging 18-yard drive that forced Machida keeper Kosei Tani into his first real save—tipping the ball onto the right post to keep the scores level.
While Gangwon will be happy to head to Japan without a deficit, Machida Zelvia will feel they missed a chance to kill the tie early. The return leg next Tuesday promises to be an absolute firecracker as both clubs chase a historic Quarter-final spot in their debut Asian campaign.
Credit Photo : AFC
