Ulsan HD, a professional soccer team, announced an uneasy start.
Ulsan lost 0-1 in its home showdown with Kawasaki Frontale of Japan in the first leg of the 2024-2025 AFC Champions League stage at Munsu Stadium in Ulsan. Ulsan, which failed to qualify for the semifinals at ACL, the predecessor of ACLE last season, is challenging to win the title at this year’s event. However, it lost in its first match.
On this day, Ulsan took out the 4-1-2-3 formation. Kim Min-joon and Kim Min-woo were placed on both sides of the residents’ one-top. Matheus, Lee Kyu-sung and Jung Woo-young played midfielders. Four backs were Lee Myung-jae, Kim Young-kwon, Hwang Seok-ho, Yoon Il-rok, and goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo. Kawasaki, where South Korean goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong plays, faced 4-4-2.
Ulsan had a highly motivated game from the 6th minute of the first half, with Kim Min-joon shooting a bold mid-range shot. In the 17th minute of the first half, Kim Min-joon connected Lee Myung-jae’s cross with a header shot, but it went over the net. Ulsan finished the first half without a goal.
Ulsan, which rarely came to fruition, allowed the first goal. In the 9th minute of the second half, Kawasaki’s foreign player Marcinho shook the net. Asahi Sasaki recorded an assist, but Marcinho’s personal ability stood out. Marcinho, who caught the ball from the left side, dug into the center and fired a mid-range shot to score the first goal. 안전놀이터
Since then, Ulsan has sought to equalize by substituting Go Seung-bum and Yago. However, it failed to open the Kawasaki goal that Jung protected. In the second half extra time, Yago’s powerful mid-range shot was blocked by goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong’s super save, sending his head down. Ulsan lost in the end.
On the day, Ulsan led 13-7 in overall shooting and 5-3 in effective shooting. However, it lacked the necessary goal. Jung made five saves. Football statistics magazine Footmob gave Jung a high rating of 7.8.