FA Cup quarterfinals end with league leader Ulsan crashing out

The all-K League 1 affair Korean FA Cup quarterfinals ended on Wednesday with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Incheon United, Pohang Steelers and Jeju United joining the last four and league leaders Ulsan Hyundai crashing out of the tournament.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors' Cho Gue-sung, left, waves to fans after scoring a goal against Gwangju FC during an FA Cup match at Jeonju World Cup Stadium in Jeonju, North Jeolla, on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

The all-K League 1 affair Korean FA Cup quarterfinals ended on Wednesday with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Incheon United, Pohang Steelers and Jeju United joining the last four and league leaders Ulsan Hyundai crashing out of the tournament.

The four quarterfinal matches all kicked off at the same time, and all of them were neck-and-neck apart from the match between Jeonbuk and Gwangju FC in Jeonju, North Jeolla, that ended with a 4-0 victory for Jeonbuk.

Jeonbuk displayed a defending champion-like performance from the start, attempting multiple shots throughout the first half to open the scoring.

They nevertheless failed to get on the scoresheet through the first half.

Song Min-kyu then broke through in the 57th minute, slotting in the ball from a cross that Gwangju defenders failed to clear.

Jeonbuk rode that momentum through the second half, with Cho Gue-sung converting a penalty to the team’s second goal in the 62nd minute.

The defending champions’ attacks persisted, and Amano Jun scored the No. 3 in the 67th minute before Cho managed his second and the team’s No. 4 in style with a backheeled goal in the 89th minute.

Wednesday’s massive 4-0 win was Jeonbuk’s first victory under new manager Dan Petrescu who took the helm earlier this month. His debut match was also against Gwangju in the K League on Saturday, which ended with a 2-0 loss.

Ulsan, on the other hand, lost to Jeju on penalties after a grueling 120 minutes.

Jeju United's Lee Gi-hyeok, right, dribbles the ball during an FA Cup match against Ulsan Hyundai at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan in a photo shared on Jeju's official Facebook account on Thursday. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Ulsan first got on the scoresheet with Martin Adam’s header in the 26th minute, but Kim Seung-sub equalized in the 41st minute. Both teams then struggled to score the winner through the end of extra time, forcing a penalty shootout.

The first five players from both teams all scored penalties, but Ulsan’s Valeri Qazaishvili and Jeju’s Lee Joo-yong both missed their shots.

It came down to the seventh penalty taker, and Ulsan’s Park Yong-woo missed his shot, while Jeju’s Yeon Je-woon’s shot found the back of the net, winning the game 6-5 on penalties and sending his side through the semifinals.

This is the third time Ulsan manager Hong Myung-bo has failed to reach the FA Cup final since he took the helm in 2021. He crashed out of the semifinals in his first two years in charge, although he led his side to league victory last season.

Elsewhere, Incheon United managed a 3-2 victory over the Suwon Samsung Bluewings thanks to Cheon Seong-hoon’s winner in the 53rd minute, reaching the semifinals for the first time in eight years.

The Suwon Samsung Bluewings' Park Hee-jun, right, vies for the ball with Incheon United's Kim Yeon-soo during an FA Cup match at Incheon Football Stadium in Incheon on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

The Bluewings, on the other hand, crashed out of the quarterfinals for the fourth year in a row.

They are the winningest team in FA Cup history alongside Jeonbuk with five titles, but they have been spending possibly the worst season so far in their history, sitting in last place in the league with just two wins.

Another struggling side Gangwon FC, who sit in 11th place on the 12-team table, suffered a 2-1 loss to the Pohang Steelers after conceding the late winner to Park Chan-yong in the 87th minute.

Gangwon have yet to secure their first victory under new manager Yoon Jong-hwan, who took charge of the team on June 15 after former manager Choi Yong-soo was dropped.

The Steelers have been on a good run this season, sitting in second place in the league with two points clear of third-place FC Seoul.

This year may be a chance for them to secure their FA Cup trophy since 2013.

The draw for the semifinals will take place on July 18, with the exact game schedule yet to be announced.

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