‘Injured’ Lee Dong-joon (Jeonbuk Hyundai) shakes his head in disappointment.

Jeonbuk played Ulsan HD to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their 2023-2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League quarterfinal first leg at Jeonju World Cup Stadium on Friday.

Jeonbuk took the lead in the fourth minute of the first half. After receiving a long pass from behind on the right flank, Lee Dong-joon dribbled in and sent a low, quick cross to Song Min-gyu in the box. Song Mingyu calmly got his foot to the ball and slotted it into the Ulsan goal.

Jeonbuk failed to capitalize on their chances. In the 21st minute, Lee Dong-joon was brought down by Ulsan defender Lee Myung-jae with his foot high in the box. The referee awarded a penalty kick. Lee Myung-jae was warned. Jeonbuk sent Thiago to take the kick. But no goal came. Thiago hit the post.

The first half ended with Jeonbuk leading 1-0.

Ulsan scored the equalizer. In the 31st minute of the second half, Lee Myung-jae picked up a ball that Jeonbuk failed to clear cleanly in the box and immediately fired a shot that rattled the net.

The game ended as it was. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Lee Dong-joon, who had been a standout performer on the flank since the beginning of the game, was substituted at the start of the second half.

Coach Dan Petrescu said, “It’s an injury. 스포츠토토 We didn’t substitute him because he couldn’t play. In the first half, he scored an assist and won a penalty. He showed good form. We took him off just before halftime because we thought it would be difficult for him to play.”

“We’ll have to wait and see (the extent of the injury). He was hit in the side during the penalty kick. I think it’s a muscle injury,” he said.

“I immediately felt like, ‘I can’t play,’ but I wanted to play in the first half so badly, so I played through it. The pain was still there, but I felt like I would falter if I went out right away.”

“I was angry that I was injured (because) I was doing so well. If I could have played normally in the second half, I think I could have shown a good performance, so I’m sorry for the team. I’m also disappointed with the result because I thought it was a game we could have won.”

The match was watched from the stands by interim A team head coach Hwang Sun-hong.

Hwang will only be in charge for two games against Thailand in March, the second Asian qualifier for the 2026 North and Central American World Cup.

South Korea will play the first match at Seoul World Cup Stadium on March 21 at 8 p.m. local time, followed by the second match at Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on March 26 at 7:30 p.m. local time.

“Every player has a desire to represent his country,” said Lee. If we do our best in the team, I think we will have a good result one day,” said Lee.