Ulsan HD of the K-League 1 seeks its first win in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Elite (ACLE) against Vissel Kobe of the J1 League in Japan.
Ulsan will play at Ulsan Stadium at 7 p.m. on the 23rd in the third round of the ACLE League Stage in the 2024-2025 season.
Ulsan’s pride, led by head coach Kim Pan-gon, was crumpled in the Asian club competition.
Ulsan, the “K League 1 champion,” was evaluated as one of the strongest teams to dominate the ACLE League stage, but Masu-gul’s victory is getting longer.
Ulsan was defeated by Kawasaki Frontale (0-1 loss, home game) in the first game and Yokohama F. Marinos (0-4 loss, away game) in the second game.
He fell to the bottom of East Asia after losing helplessly in a series of matches against Japanese clubs.
Ulsan could face a crisis of failing to advance to the tournament if it misses this game as well.
As such, we have to somehow bring about a victory over Kobe in this game.
However, the current situation in Ulsan is not easy in many ways.
First, the home Ulsan Munsu Stadium was changed to Ulsan Stadium in the face of controversy over the “Nondureung Lawn.”
It is relatively better than Gwangju FC, which moved to Yongin Mir Stadium, but it is similar that it cannot fully enjoy its home advantage.
The fierce competition to win the league is also a concern.
In the 34th round of the K League 1 on the 19th, it drew 0-0 after a close match with rival Kim Cheon-sang, and in the 35th round of the K League 1 on the 27th, the “East Coast Derby” against the Pohang Steelers is waiting.
As Ulsan has to catch two rabbits, the league and ACLE, at the same time, it should also pay attention to the physical management of the team.
In addition, Kobe has a stronger power than Kawasaki and Yokohama, which he faced earlier.
Kobe is currently in second place in the Japanese J1 League, and had eight undefeated games (7 wins and 1 draw) before losing the previous round.
It is characterized by a solid balance of offense and defense, reaching 54 points and 34 runs in 34 league games.
Yoshinori Muto, who has 11 goals and 7 assists in the league, and Yuya Osako, who has 11 goals and 6 assists in the league, are on the alert. 메이저사이트
Ulsan also expects front-line strikers Joo Min-kyu and Yago.
“A striker proves his value through chances. He also needs to know how to create chances. He has good defense and good teamwork and good tactical skills. I will look forward to seeing Joo Min-gyu and Yago explode,” Kim said after the match against Gimcheon.
“I haven’t been able to do my best in ACLE due to circumstances, but I will run it as well as I do at home and produce good results,” he said, promising to win the match against Kobe.