Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ulsan: Japan midfielder Akihiro Ienaga scored his first goal for Ulsan Hyundai following his loan move from Spanish side Real Mallorca as the ACL 2012 quarter-finalists defeated Pohang Steelers 3-1 in their K-League Round 18 clash on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old struck three minutes into the second-half to make it 2-1 to Ulsan after No Byung-jun had levelled for the Steelers on the half-hour mark, cancelling out the 27th minute opener from Brazilian striker Maranhao (Luis Carlos dos Santos Martins), who had come on to replace Lee Ho just a minute earlier.
Pohang, who bowed out of this year's edition of Asia's premier club competition at the group stage, were reduced to ten men in the 58th minute with the dismissal of Shin Kwang-hoon and Ulsan made their numerical advantage count ten minutes later when Choi Jae-soo netted the home side's third.
Ulsan, who are aiming to become the fourth successive ACL finalists from Korea after last year's runners-up Jeonbuk, Pohang Steelers and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma, ACL champions in 2009 and 2010 respectively, take on Al Hilal in the last eight of this year's edition of Asia's premier club competition.
The first-leg of the AFC Champions League quarter-finals will take place on September 19 with Ulsan hosting the two-time Asian Club Championship winners before the Saudis entertain the Koreans on October 3.