
Ulsan Hyundai head coach Hong Myung-bo said he will give his players an early rest after the final match of the season against Kawasaki.
Ulsan came from two goals down in the first half to earn a 2-2 draw with Kawasaki Frontale (Japan) in their final Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League Group I match of the 2023/24 season at the Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan, South Korea on Wednesday, thanks to a Martin Adam brace.
With three wins, one draw and two losses, and 10 points, Ulsan secured a ticket to the round of 16, which requires at least a third-place finish among the top two teams in each of the five East Asian groups (Groups F through J), including Group H runner-up Melbourne City (Australia – 9 points) and Group J runner-up Urawa Reds (Japan – 7 points).
It was not an easy game. After taking the lead early in the first half, Ulsan conceded two goals to Kawasaki.
Kawasaki struck back in the 17th minute after breaking up an Ulsan attack with strong pressure. A long ball from the back was collected by Segawa with precise ball control before he sent a low cross into the box past Seol Young-woo. Yamada’s shot was well saved by Cho Hyun-woo, but the bouncing ball rattled the net as Daiya connected with a right-footed volley. There was a check for offside, but the goal was allowed to stand.
Kawasaki added a second goal in the 31st minute. Ulsan attacked from a goal kick, but the ball was immediately lost to Kawasaki. Yamada broke down the right flank and found Segawa. Segawa calmly folded the ball once and tried to shoot, but Cho Hyun-woo made the save. The defender threw his body to block the next shot, but it wasn’t enough to stop Seko. The ball slipped between Cho Hyun-woo’s legs and rattled the net.
But Martin Adam emerged as the hero. In the 44th minute, a quick free kick was played from the right flank. A cross from Uhm Won-sang found its way through Kim Min-hyuk to Martin Adam. While the goalkeeper threw his body to block the cross, Martin Adam slid it in with his head.
In the eighth minute of the second half, Ulsan equalized. A corner kick was sent to Seol Young-woo, but he fumbled. Seol Young-woo collected the rebound and fired a shot, and Kim Young-kwon was tripped up by Matsunagane after catching the deflected ball. By a narrow margin, a free kick was called instead of a penalty kick, but it was corrected to a penalty kick. Kicker Martin Adam stepped up and placed the ball with his left foot into the corner of the goal.
Ulsan was unable to find an additional goal and the match ended 2-2, but earlier in the day, Group H Melbourne drew 1-1 with Zhejiang FC (China) to move to nine points and secure a spot in the round of 16 by finishing in the top three of their respective groups, regardless of the outcome of the remaining matches between Incheon and Yokohama.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hong said, “In the end, I’m happy that we made it to the round of 16. However, I think the time we spent in mid-October, late October, and November was relaxing after the win. It was difficult to motivate the players before an important match, and I feel like it was a longer season than ever before. In the end, I would like to say congratulations to the team for winning the title and reaching the round of 16.”
On his plans for next season, he said: “It’s too soon to think about the timing. I’ll have to work with the coaching staff to figure out what we need to work on. We will have to prepare in detail how to rest the players and how to prepare efficiently after the round of 16 bracket is announced.”
Earlier, Hong Myung-bo said it was difficult to motivate his players after clinching the league title. However, he explained that it was easier to prepare for the Kawasaki game because they had a clear goal.
“Today’s motivation was clear,” Hong said. Before, we still had a league game to play, and it was difficult in terms of motivation. Against Kawasaki, we were motivated to advance to the Round of 16. (Now that it’s over), I want the players to go home and rest as soon as possible,” he declared.
Lee Chung-yong, who also attended the press conference with Hong, said, “The players prepared well to win. I’m disappointed that we didn’t win, but I’m happy that we made it to the round of 16. I think we’ve achieved what we wanted this season: winning the league and making it to the round of 16. I feel very proud of the team.”
“It was difficult to play in the position that Park Yong-woo played, and we have a lot of deficiencies. It will be helpful to have players who fit well together. We want players who can help us offensively and defensively,” he said, emphasizing the need to strengthen next season.
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