K League suffers tough night in Champions League with two losses

Ulsan Hyundai lost 2-1 to Johor Darul Ta'zim and Incheon United suffered a 3-1 loss to Shandong Taishan, failing to raise the Korean clubs' hopes for a direct ticket to the round of 16.

Ulsan Hyundai's Lee Gyu-sung, right, vies for the ball with Johor Darul Ta'zim's Oscar Arribas during an AFC Champions League match at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Malaysia on Tuesday. [AFC]

It was a tough night for K League teams in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday. Ulsan Hyundai lost 2-1 to Johor Darul Ta'zim and Incheon United suffered a 3-1 loss to Shandong Taishan, failing to raise the Korean clubs' hopes for a direct ticket to the round of 16.

After locking in the 2023 K League on Oct. 29, Ulsan looked to display a champion-like performance on the international stage, but the match at Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Malaysia turned out to be intense with Johor constantly creating chances and hitting the goal post in the first half.

Johor went ahead with Heberty’s goal in the 44th minute, but Ulsan’s Ataru Esaka equalized in the 69th minute with a tidy shot inside the penalty area.

The score tied at 1-1 with both sides failing to break through until the 85th minute despite multiple attempts. The goal by substitute Akhyar Rashid broke the deadlock in the 86th minute, which turned out to be the winner that gave the Malaysia side an important three points.

Tuesday’s result was a tough pill for Ulsan to swallow, as it stretched the gap with frontrunners Kawasaki Frontale in Group I by six points.

Kawasaki have 12 points, making it challenging for second-place Ulsan, with six points, to snatch the top spot and reach the knockout stage.

In the Champions League, 10 group winners and three best runners-up from each region — East Asia and West Asia — reach the round of 16.

Over at Jinan Olympic Sports Center in Jinan, China, Incheon United ceded three points to Shandong, a Chinese club led by Korean manager Choi Kang-hee, after showing a lack of goal decisiveness.

Chen Pu of Shandong Taishan, right, vies with Paul Jose M'poku of Incheon United during an AFC Champions League Group G match at Jinan Olympic Sports Center in Jinan, China on Tuesday. [XINHUA/YONHAP]

Incheon created multiple chances with tidy passes in the midfield, but none of the Incheon players made decisive moments.

Their attacks again proved ineffective in the early minutes of the second half, and Li Yuanyi got on the scoresheet in the 54th minute to make it 1-0 for Shandong.

The goal appeared to suck the life out the Incheon squad. With the burden of having to equalize, their defense became scrappy.

Defender Kweon Han-jin scored an own goal in the 65th minute after mistiming his pass to goalkeeper Kim Dong-heon. Incheon then conceded another to Cryzan in the 76th minute from a penalty.

Kim Do-hyeok made it 3-1 in stoppage time, but the damage was already done. It was the second time Incheon had lost to Shangdong in Group G after a 2-0 loss on Oct. 25.

Incheon slipped down to third place in Group G with Tuesday’s loss. The club’s bid to reach the knockout stage in their first-ever Champions League campaign may come to an end if they do not bounce back in the remaining group matches.

Ulsan and Incheon will be back in Champions League action at the end of the month, with the K League winners facing BG Pathum United in Thailand on Nov. 28 and Incheon playing Yokohama F. Marinos on the same day in Incheon.

Two other K League teams are competing in this year’s Champions League alongside Ulsan and Incheon: the Pohang Steelers and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

As of press time Wednesday, the Steelers were due to face Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, and Jeonbuk were set to play the Lion City Sailors in Singapore.

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