Ulsan take 1-0 lead in Champions League semifinals; punch ticket to Club World Cup

Lee Dong-gyeong scored the winner to lead Ulsan HD to a 1-0 win over Yokohama F. Marinos in the first leg of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League semifinals on Wednesday, booking a ticket to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the process.

Ulsan HD's Lee Dong-gyeong, right, shoots during the first leg of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League semifinals against Yokohama F. Marinos at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Lee Dong-gyeong scored the winner to lead Ulsan HD to a 1-0 win over Yokohama F. Marinos in the first leg of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League semifinals on Wednesday, booking a ticket to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the process.

Ulsan needed a victory at home in order to add the three points needed in the AFC qualification standings to allow the K League 1 defending champions to surpass fellow K League 1 side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors by one point and secure a berth in the newly-expanded Club World Cup.

And that is exactly what happened. Lee took a tidy shot inside the penalty area in the 19th minute that slipped under goalkeeper William Popp’s arms, scoring what would turn out to be the sole goal of the match.

The Marinos created multiple chances with cohesive play in the midfield in the second half, but a lack of decisiveness in front of goal cost them the 1-0 loss ahead of the second leg next week.

“Since it was a home game, scoring more goals would have made the away leg easier for us, so I am a little disappointed, but also happy about the win,” Lee said after the match.

Lee’s performance on Wednesday is par for the course based on the K League 1 season so far. He already has six goals in seven fixtures in the league, putting him at No. 2 on the K League top scorer list.

The 26-year-old, however, is about to leave Ulsan, as he is set to join military club Gimcheon Sangmu to complete his mandatory military service that starts on April 29. He will be able to play the second leg against Marinos on April 24, but will miss the Champions League final if Ulsan advance, which will not take place until May.

Ulsan, meanwhile, jumped to second place on the AFC rankings with three points from Wednesday’s fixture, securing one of the four spots open to Asian teams for the upcoming 32-team Club World Cup.

The tournament previously included only seven teams — the six winners from each continental tournament and league winners of the Club World Cup host country — but has been hugely expanded for next year.

The previous two Champions League winners, 2022 champions Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia and 2023 winners Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, have already booked a spot in the tournament.

The team with the highest AFC club standings over the last four years joins the Club World Cup, alongside the previous three Champions League winners.

Should Ulsan win this season’s Champions League, they will take one of three tournament winner spots and Jeonbuk will also qualify for the Club World Cup through the standing qualification pathway.

Jeonbuk, who rank third in the AFC standings with 80 points, were knocked out of this season’s Champions League, but so were fourth-placed Kawasaki Frontale with 64 points, making it impossible for Frontale to earn a place in the event Ulsan win this year’s tournament.

If Ulsan reach the final this year, it will be their first time doing so since 2020, when they took their second Champions League title after winning in 2012.

Ulsan Hyundai, now Ulsan HD, players celebrate winning the 2020 AFC Champions League at Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar on Dec. 19, 2020. [YONHAP]

A Champions League victory this year will be another achievement for manager Hong Myung-bo, who became the first manager to win back-to-back K League 1 titles with Ulsan last year.

The K League 1 title remains the only silverware he has won since he took the helm in 2020.

The second leg against Marinos will kick off at International Stadium Yokohama in Japan at 7 p.m. on April 24.

On the other side of the semifinal bracket on Wednesday, Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates beat Al-Hilal 4-2 in the first leg.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]