ULSAN — Ulsan HD FC, the South Korean champions, edged past Yokohama F. Marinos with a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League semifinal matchup on Wednesday at Munsu Football Stadium, located roughly 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
According to Yonhap News Agency, midfielder Lee Dong-gyeong scored the decisive goal in the 19th minute, propelling Ulsan to a significant win and a spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup as one of four AFC representatives. This qualification is part of a new format that includes the two most recent AFC Champions League winners and additional teams based on club rankings from the 2021-24 Champions Leagues.
The return leg of the semifinal is scheduled for next Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Yokohama, where Ulsan will look to maintain their lead and advance to the finals. They will face either Al Ain FC of the United Arab Emirates or Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, depending on the outcome of the other semifinal match.
In Wednesday's game, Lee, who was named the K League 1's Player of the Month earlier in the day, demonstrated his skills by converting a pass from forward Joo Min-kyu into the match's only goal. Despite further attempts by Joo and Lee to extend their lead, Yokohama's goalkeeper William Popp kept the scoreline close with several key saves.
Yokohama struggled to find the back of the net despite generating more shots and on-target attempts than Ulsan. Ulsan's goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo played a crucial role in maintaining the clean sheet against a persistent Yokohama offense.