Ulsan has taken a commanding lead in the first leg of its Asian Champions League quarterfinal first leg.
Ulsan HD, led by head coach Hong Myung-bo, defeated Japan’s Yokohama Marinos 1-0 in the first leg of the 2023-2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League semifinals at the Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium on Sunday. Ulsan will play the second leg of the quarterfinals away at 7 p.m. on April 24.
If Ulsan performs well in the second leg and leads on aggregate points from the first leg, it will play the winner of the Al Ain (UAE) – Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) 토토사이트 quarterfinal in West Asia in the final.
With the win, Ulsan added to its Champions League club ranking points and secured a spot at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, which will feature a 32-team format.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo was determined to win the match, fielding his strongest players, including Lee Min-gyu, Lee Dong-kyung and Uhm Won-sang. Yokohama also responded with a strong lineup, including former Ulsan player Jun Amano in the starting midfield.
However, the game was decided in the 19th minute by Lee Dong-kyung. Lee Dong-kyung, whose goal-scoring touch has been at its peak of late, rattled the net with a low shot from the edge of the box that was cut back by Lee Min-gyu.
Ulsan was disappointed to see shots from Lee Min-kyu in the 23rd minute and Lee Dong-kyung in the 25th minute hit the post, and then in the 27th minute, Lee Min-kyu found the back of the net with the decisive goal, but this time he was called offside.
Yokohama threw on Nam Tae-hee in the second half, but were unable to change the outcome.
Lee Dong-kyung said after the game, “We had to win our first game at home, but I’m glad the team came together to win. It would have been nice to score more goals, but the players did a great job,” said Lee.
Prior to the match, a ceremony was held to honor the late Yoo Sang-cheol, who played for both Ulsan and Yokohama. A specially produced video of Yoo, who wore the No. 6 jersey, was shown, and fans from both teams stood for a 60-second standing ovation in memory of Yoo in the sixth minute of the first half.
During his career, Yoo played nine seasons with Ulsan and four seasons with Yokohama, helping the teams win two championships in each league.