Defender Seol Young-woo's Late First-Half Goal Propels Ulsan to a 2-1 Aggregate Win

Courtesy of Korea Professional Football League

In a decisive quarterfinal match at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, Ulsan HD FC emerged victorious against South Korean rivals Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Defender Seol Young-woo's late first-half goal secured a 1-0 victory for Ulsan in the second leg at Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan.

With a 2-1 win on aggregate, Ulsan advances to the semifinals after a 1-1 draw in the opening leg last week. The team will face either Yokohama F. Marinos of Japan or Shandong Taishan of China in the next round.

The semifinals, scheduled for April 17 and 24, will be contested in two legs.

Reflecting on the victory, Seol Young-woo stated, "I don't score all that often, and so I am happy to have scored one tonight." Looking ahead to the semifinals, he expressed the team's commitment to preparing diligently and delivering their best performance, irrespective of their opponents. 

▲ Courtesy of Korea Professional Football LeagueUlsan HD FC, winners of AFC Champions League titles in 2012 and 2020, broke the deadlock just before the end of the first half. Gustav Ludwigson's cross found Seol Young-woo, who volleyed the ball into the top left corner.

Despite celebrating the goal, Seol sustained a right shoulder injury but continued to play. Jeonbuk pressed for an equalizer, with Ulsan goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo making crucial saves.

In the 83rd minute, a goal by Lee Dong-jun was disallowed after a deflection off referee Alireza Faghani.

Both Ulsan and Jeonbuk are contenders for a spot in the expanded FIFA Club World Cup next year. The AFC will allocate four spots at the 32-team tournament based on club ranking positions.

With Tuesday's win, Ulsan collected six points, reaching a total of 78 points, just two points behind Jeonbuk. Al Hilal currently leads all AFC clubs with 109 points.

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