Seol Young-woo carries Ulsan HD through to AFC Champions League semifinals

Seol Young-woo scored a crucial goal to lead Ulsan HD to a 1-0 win against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the second leg of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, sending his side through to the semifinals with a 2-1 win on aggregate.

Ulsan HD's Seol Young-woo, left, celebrates scoring during a 2023-24 AFC Champions League quarterfinal against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

Seol Young-woo scored a crucial goal to lead Ulsan HD to a 1-0 win against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the second leg of the 2023-24 AFC Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, sending his side through to the semifinals with a 2-1 win on aggregate.

Both sides failed to break through despite making a few chances in the majority of the first half of the K League derby at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, but fullback Seol broke the deadlock with a tidy volley that found the back of the top left corner in stoppage time.

That goal turned out to be the winner of the match, with Jeonbuk failing to convert opportunities for an equalizer through the end of the game.

With Tuesday’s win, Ulsan secured a spot in the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2021.

Jeonbuk’s exit leaves Ulsan as the only K League team in the Champions League. Two other K League sides exited earlier in the competition: The Pohang Steelers crashed out in the round of 16 with a loss to Jeonbuk and Incheon United exited in the group stage.

Ulsan will now face either Shandong Taishan of China or Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan in the semifinals.

The second leg of the quarterfinal between Taishan and the Marinos was due to take place later in the evening on Wednesday as of press time. Yokohama won the first leg 2-1.

Yokohama F. Marinos' Yan Matheus, right, vies for the ball with Shandong Taishan's Zheng Zheng during a 2023-24 AFC Champions League quarterfinal at Jinan Olympic Sports Center Stadium in China on March 6. [AFC]

The Japanese side also beat Taishan twice in the group stage.

Ulsan have been a regular title contender in the semifinals in recent years, having reached the semifinals three times in 2020, 2021 and this year.

As for the Marinos, it is their second time joining the last four, having last competed in the semifinals in the 1989-90 season where they finished as runners-up. That finish remains their best in the tournament.

Taishan, on the other hand, have only advanced as far as the quarterfinals. Both sides have never faced Ulsan in the Champions League before.

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.

A third Champions League victory will also secure Ulsan a ticket to the expanded 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.

The Club World Cup, previously joined by only seven teams — the six winners from each continental tournament and league winners of the Club World Cup host country — now invites 32 teams from across the globe.

Four teams from the AFC can join the Club World Cup.

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 ranking over the last four years who have not already qualified will also qualify.

Ulsan are in third place on the ranking with 78 points as of Wednesday, just two points behind second-place Jeonbuk. Al Hilal lead with 109 points, meaning that either Jeonbuk or Ulsan is guaranteed to qualify — possibly both if Ulsan go on to win the Champions League to earn the final spot.

The home-and-away format Champions League semifinals will take place in April.

Until then, Ulsan will be in action in the K League with the defending champions facing Incheon United on Sunday.

The 2024 K League 1 season that kicked off this month will run through December, while the Champions League will end in May.

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