Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ulsan: Ulsan Hyundai qualified for the last 16 of the AFC Champions League as Group F winners ahead of FC Tokyo after the K-League side rode their luck to edge out the Japanese Emperor's Cup winners 1-0 at Ulsan Munsu Stadium on Wednesday.
With both sides already through to the next round, Kang Min-soo scored the only goal of a tight contest eight minutes before the break as Ulsan posted an unbeaten record to set-up a meeting with J.League champions Kashiwa Reysol at home on May 30.
After suffering their first defeat of the campaign, FC Tokyo must travel to China to face Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande after twice hitting the woodwork with the visitors only needing a point to top the table.
"Even though we won the game, I cannot say it was good because our players couldn't do well due to the burden," said Ulsan coach Kim Ho-gon. "This is something we need to improve for the next game.
"We will have a game against Kashiwa, who were the champions of the 2011 J.League, at home, so we have to prepare well."
Needing just a draw to claim top spot ahead of Ulsan having posted an unbeaten record after five games, FC Tokyo came within inches of opening the scoring after 13 minutes as Kazuma Watanabe struck the foot of the Ulsan post from the edge of the area with goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang beaten.
The visitors continued to dominate and Ulsan goalkeeper Kim Young-kwang was forced to push a rising strike from Tatsuya Yazawa over the crossbar midway through the first half before Jang Hyun-soo headed wide from the resulting corner.
But the home side opened the scoring against the run of play eight minutes before half-time when Kang Min-soo followed up after a diving header from Maranaho (Luis Carlos dos Santos Martins) had crashed into the crossbar after Kim Seung-youg's free-kick had been headed back across the face of goal by captain Kwak Tae-hwi.
FC Tokyo still had a chance to claim the point they needed, but the visitors again hit the Ulsan woodwork with two minutes remaining as substitute Yohei Kajiyama saw his low skipping strike from the edge of the area come back off the post with Kim Young-kwang rooted to the spot.
"You can never predict how a game will happen," said FC Tokyo coach Ranko Popovic.
"But even though we regret the result, we are satisfied with how we played."
Photo: WSG