Suwon’s Ji So-yun says her team will stand firm against North Korea’s physical play in AFC semifinal Suwon FC Women captain Ji So-yun trains in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, prior to Wednesday's AFC Women’s Champions League semifinal against North Korea's Naegohyang Women’s FC. (Yonhap) Suwon FC Women captain Ji So-yun said her team would not be intimidated by aggressive tactics in Wednesday's Champions League semifinal against North Korea’s Naegohyang Women’s FC.“North Korean players are tough and they curse a lot, but we won’t back down. If they talk trash, we’ll talk trash. If they kick us, we'll kick back,” Ji said during a press conference Tuesday at Suwon Stadium in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province.The upcoming match offers Suwon a chance for redemption after its 3-0 loss to Naegohyang in the group stage in November. Suwon head coach Park Kil-young, who joined Ji at the press event, said things would be different on their home turf.“I think the players were a little intimidated last time. This time, it will be different,” Park said.Ji, who joined Suwon on Jan. 6, is one of the team's key players. She made over 200 appearances for English club Chelsea, winning six league titles, and has scored more international goals than any other South Korean footballer, male or female.Seasoned veterans Kim Hye-ri and Choe Yu-ri also joined the squad this year.“I’ve watched Naegohyang’s games, and there were many players I had seen while playing for the national team. Even the head coach led the national team. I think they are essentially on par with the North Korean national team,” Ji said.But Ji said Suwon was a far different team from the one that lost in November, adding that they will do their best to secure the crucial win.Ji also has unfinished business against North Korea. The South Korean national team fell 4-1 to North Korea in the quarterfinals of the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, in what Ji called “the most unfair game” she had ever played, in reference to the officiating.Ji said Suwon players’ focus will be solely on the match, not on issues off the field, including the 3,000 South Korean supporters expected to cheer for both teams.That sentiment was shared by the North Korean club. Naegohyang head coach Ri Yu-il said his players were focused only on the game, not the supporters.Naegohyang captain Kim Kyong-yong said she and her teammates would do their best to live up to the expectations and trust of North Korean fans.Wednesday’s match is expected to be a grueling one, with rain forecast throughout the game. North Korean teams have long had a reputation in South Korean football circles for physical, hard-fought play.A South Korean player who faced North Korea in the 2017 Women’s Asian Cup once said she was “frankly scared” when North Korean players shouted, “Let’s tear them apart!” before the game.