Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ulsan: Ulsan Hyundai captain Kwak Tae-hwi has challenged the K-League's sole remaining representative to maintain Korea Republic's strong recent AFC Champions League history ahead of September's quarter-final first leg against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.
With the K-League providing two of the last three winners of the AFC Champions League along with last year's beaten finalists, only K-League Cup winners Ulsan remain in the 2012 edition of the competition after former winners Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Pohang Steelers all failed to advance to the last eight.
Ulsan, who lost to Jeonbuk in the K-League play-off final at the end of last year, will entertain 2010 semi-finalists Al Hilal at Ulsan Munsu Stadium on September 19 before making the trip to Riyadh for the return fixture two weeks later.
"It is great for K-League. Clubs from the K-league have done a great job in the AFC Champions League for a while and it would be great for Ulsan to add their name to the trophy," said Kwak, who is the only player to have featured in every minute for Ulsan en route to the quarter-finals.
"I am sure that we can win it this year; I want to be able to sing the champions song on the pitch after the final."
Both sides won their respective groups with unbeaten records, with Ulsan posting four wins to finish ahead of Japan's FC Tokyo and qualify for the last 16 for the second time while Al Hilal finished with three consecutive wins to edge out Iran's Persepolis.
But while 2006 semi-finalists Ulsan edged out J.League champions Kashiwa Reysol 3-2 in the last 16, two-time Asian Club Championship winners Al Hilal thrashed UAE Pro League side Baniyas 7-1 thanks to four goals from Korean striker Yoo Byung-soo.
"Al Hilal are a great team, but our team is strong as well and if we play our game we can win," added Kwak.
"We don't care about their last game in the AFC Champions League; we will just focus on winning the quarter-final."
Following the last 16 success over Kashiwa, Kim Ho-gon's Ulsan have named a largely unchanged squad for the remainder of the competition with the only significant addition the arrival of Brazilian striker Rafinha.
He scored 11 goals in 17 appearances for Japan's Gamba Osaka last year before scoring twice for the 2008 winners in the Group Stage of the AFC Champions League this season.
Al Hilal, meanwhile, underwent a summer of change after also finishing third in the Saudi League last season.
Christian Wilhelmsson contributed two goals and four assists for Yoo against Baniyas, but the Swedish midfielder will not feature against Ulsan after ending his three-year association with the club in the summer.
Former captain Osama Hawsawi and French-born Moroccan striker Youssef El Arabi, who scored four goals in six appearances en route to the last eight, also sought new challenges over the summer.
Al Hilal have, though, welcomed back striker Yasser Al Qahtani after the 2007 AFC Player of the Year scored 12 goals in 21 appearances in all competitions last season as Al Ain won the UAE Pro League.
Senegal international defender Abdou Kader Mangane will look to fill the void vacated by Hawsawi, while Brazilian striker Wesley ((Wesley Lopes da Silva)) joined Al Hilal having scored 27 goals for Romania's FC Vaslui last season.
Al Hilal were also the only quarter-finalist to change coach following the last 16, with former Paris Saint-Germain coach Antoine Kombouare replacing Ivan Hasek.
"All the teams who have qualified for this round of the AFC Champions League are great," added Kwak, who was Ulsan's top scorer in the 2011 K-League season and was also named in the Best XI.
"I can't choose any particular player or team. They all play attractive football."
The winner after the October 3 second leg in Riyadh will take on either Australia's Adelaide United or Uzbekistan champions Bunyodkor in October's semi-finals for a place in November's showpiece final.
On the other side of the draw, two-time AFC Champions League winners Al Ittihad take on Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande, while Iran champions Foolad Sepahan face Saudi Arabia's Al Ahli.
Photo: WSG