The Hyundai rivalry has now tilted in favor of Ulsan HD. Ulsan head coach Hong Myung-bo and Seol Young-woo acknowledged this.
Ulsan HD won their 2023-24 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Jeonbuk Hyundai 1-0 at the Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, thanks to Seol Young-woo’s goal in first-half stoppage time. Ulsan advanced to the semifinals after defeating Jeonbuk by a combined score of 2-1 in the first leg.
Ulsan and Jeonbuk traded attacks throughout the first half, but it was Ulsan who capitalized on their chances. Ulsan had to shake their heads at a couple of saves from goalkeeper Kim Jeong-hoon, but they finally took the lead in first-half stoppage time. The goal was scored by Seol Young-woo, who was part of the attack.
In the second half, we focused on defense. Due to Jeonbuk’s strong attack, Ulsan mobilized their flankers and midfielders to build a defense. Despite conceding a few shots on goal, Ulsan was able to defend their lead for the remainder of the match, ending the game with a 1-0 victory.
After reaching the semifinals in 2021, Ulsan is back in the ACL quarterfinals for the first time in three years. Ulsan will face the winner of the match between Yokohama Mariners and Shandong Taishan. In the first leg, Yokohama won 2-1.
The win also took them one step closer to the Club World Cup. With six points in the AFC Rankings (three for victory and three for advancing to the next round), Ulsan can upset Jeonbuk in the next round with two more points and book their place at the Club World Cup.
Head coach Hong Myung-bo and goal scorer Seol Young-woo participated in the post-match press conference.
Hong said, “Our players showed the best concentration and attitude this year, from the process of preparing for the game to the final whistle. The opponent was a strong team and we have a rivalry, so the players were under pressure, but I would like to congratulate them and thank them for winning such an important game today.”
Seol Young-woo, who was accompanying Hong, said, “We prepared hard for the second game against Jeonbuk. Apart from the preparation, we thought we had to get a result against Jeonbuk. Everyone prepared with the same mindset. Above all, it feels good to bring home a victory. I want to say thank you to all my teammates.”
The tactical key to today’s match was the positioning of Jeon In-gyu. Although he played as a frontline striker, he was constantly dropping down to the midfield to receive the ball and pass it forward, while also fighting the Jeonbuk defense up front to create space for his teammates.
“Because he can keep the ball, he has the ability to come down to the midfield and play,” said Hong. If the opponent’s defense follows him, there is space behind him, but if not, he can make threatening plays. After we won the second ball, we prepared a tactic for Uhm Won-sang and Rubixson to penetrate into the space,” said Uhm.
“We had a few good moments, and in the end, the overall process of the game was good. We were able to attack and defend from a high position,” he said, adding that using him in this way had a positive impact on the team.
Now, the rivalry seems to be falling apart. In the past, Ulsan was the underdog in the ‘Hyundai rivalry’ and was always in second place. However, since Hong’s arrival, the momentum has gradually shifted in favor of Ulsan.
“When I took over in 2021, Jeonbuk was doing well and Ulsan was playing second fiddle,” says Hong. From the time I took over until now, I tell the players to be comfortable when playing against strong teams. I think there was pressure or fear when the players played against Jeonbuk. Now, they prepare for the game in a recreational way the day before the game, which led to the victory,” he said, admitting that Ulsan has changed since his arrival.
Hong also said, “The tilted field has been reversed. We still have a few games left to qualify for the Club World Cup, and I think that winning against a strong opponent in an important tournament will give the players confidence,” he said, pointing out why the victory was even more important.
After scoring a goal, Seol Young-woo raised his arm in the air to encourage the Ulsan home fans to cheer him on, but in doing so, he pulled his arm out and complained of pain. Luckily, he received medical attention and played through the second half to help his team win.
“I was so happy when I scored that I overextended my arm and it fell off, but they treated it well and it didn’t affect my ability to play. I’m fine now,” he said.
However, Hong pointed out Seol Young-woo. He said, “No matter how good you feel after scoring a goal, it’s a problem if your arm falls off while doing a ceremony. You’re not that good of a player. You will have to learn more in the future,” he joked.
Seol Young-woo was then asked how he feels about the fact that the rivalry is tilted toward Ulsan from a player’s perspective.
“When I first joined Ulsan, I experienced the rivalry with Jeonbuk. As a rookie, we were always defeated by Jeonbuk in important games. In the first year, I felt intimidated when I met Jeonbuk, and I had the perception that they were a team I didn’t want to play against,” he said, reflecting on his early days.
“In the second year, coach Hong Myung-bo came in and changed that. We were always losing, home and away, but when he came and we started 스포츠토토 winning, our fear disappeared. Then the results kept coming to us. Now we have the confidence that we will win. I think all the players feel that way,” Hong said, adding that the atmosphere has changed since his arrival at Ulsan.
“He was a late call-up to the national team,” said Hong. Personally, I don’t think there would have been any problem if he had been selected earlier, but unfortunately, he had to wait. It’s an honor to wear the national team jersey even at a late age. We didn’t talk about the national team. I want to tell him to take it easy in the national team, just like he did in Ulsan, and then come back,” he said.
Seol Young-woo, his younger brother but a senior on the national team, said, “I still get nervous when I go to the national team. I don’t know if I dare to tell him that. All I can say is that Min-gyu is a player with solid merits, so if he shows his merits, all the players and fans will recognize him,” he said, adding that Min-gyu deserves to be recognized by the national team.
Finally, Seol Young-woo was asked to evaluate his performance with coach Hwang Sun-hong visiting the field, and he replied, “I didn’t realize the coach was here. I didn’t play well today except for the goal. My opponent knows me well, so it was a dilemma for me. I think I need to prepare well considering that Jeonbuk is thinking about me. It’s not just about Jeonbuk, it’s about every match,” he said.
