They attempted 40 shots and fell just one goal short.
Ulsan HD FC lost a penalty shootout against Yokohama F.Marinos in the second leg of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) semifinals of the 2023-24 season at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, on April 24 at 7 p.m.
Ulsan won the first leg of the ACL semifinals 1-0 at home on Dec. 17. On the 24th, the score was 2-3 after 90 minutes in Yokohama. The match went into extra time. Both teams failed to score before and after the extra time. In the penalty shootout, Ulsan’s last kicker Kim Min-woo missed. The ACL East Asia semifinal ended with a win for Yokohama, who had all five kickers find the back of the net.
Ulsan lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Yokohama. Lee Min-gyu was up front. Gustav Rubiksson and Uhm Won-sang were in charge of the left and right attack. Lee Dong-kyung started in the center attacking midfield, while Mateusz Sales and Lee Kyu-sung formed the ball-to-receiver link in the third line. Lee Myung-jae and Seol Young-woo were the left and right fullbacks, while Kim Young-kwon and Hwang Seok-ho were the central defenders. Cho Hyun-woo was in goal.
Yokohama was the overwhelming favorite. Yokohama attacking midfielder Uenaka opened the scoring in the 12th minute of the first half. Uenaka took advantage of the hesitation of Ulsan’s central defenders Kim Young-kwon and Hwang Seok-ho to split the Ulsan goal.
Yokohama’s momentum was strong. 20th minute, first half. Brazilian forward Andersson Lopes, who played for FC Seoul, scored the second goal with a precise left-footed shot. In the 29th minute, Uenaka, who scored the opening goal, scored again with a powerful mid-range shot following a breakaway.
Ulsan head coach Hong Myung-bo made a gamble.
He dropped defensive midfielder Lee Kyu-sung and brought on passing sensation Dariyan Bojanic, and it paid off. Bojanic set the tone with his nimble dribbling and passing.
The goal came. In the 35th minute. Mateusz headed a corner kick from Lee Dong-kyung into the Yokohama net.
41st minute. The momentum had completely shifted in Ulsan’s favor.
Um Won-sang is fouled by central defender Kamijima for a handball inside the Yokohama penalty box. The referee ordered Kamijima to be sent off. Bojanic converted the penalty kick to equalize the ACL’s first and second match totals.
The second half was dominated by Ulsan, who had the numerical advantage.
Two minutes into the second half. Vojanic’s shot split the Yokohama goal. However, the goal was ruled offside by Rubikson after video assistant referee (VAR) review.
Ulsan brought on Lee Cheong-yong, Martin 바카라 Adam, Kim Min-woo, and Kelvin in a bid to score.
41st minute, second half. Vojanic’s low cross was met by Kim Min-woo, but he hit the post. 9th minute of stoppage time. Kelvin’s right-footed shot hit the post again.
Ulsan had a huge advantage in shots, 40-14, but failed to open the Yokohama goal once again.
Vojanic’s brilliance overshadowed his defeat.
Wojanic led the way in turning the game back in Yokohama’s favor early on.
As soon as he came on as a substitute, he set the tone with his nimble dribbling and passing, and even scored. From there, he played a key role in Ulsan’s offense, creating one shot after another for his fellow attackers.
Boyanic came on as a substitute and played 86 minutes. He attempted four shots, including the team’s second goal, and made eight key passes. He completed 91% of his passes in a field that was not ideal due to strong rain.
Boyanich is a Swedish attacking midfielder who has been playing for Ulsan since the 2023 season. He had one assist in nine K League 1 matches last season and three in the K League 1 this season.
Ulsan should take solace in the fact that Bojanic had one of his best performances since joining the club.