The team had a 2-2 draw with Kawasaki Frontale in its sixth Group I match of the 2023-2024 AFC Champions League (ACL) group stage at the Munsu Football Stadium in Ulsan on Wednesday. Ulsan has secured advance to the round of 16 teams by securing the second place in its group (10 points), higher than Melbourne City (9 points), the second place in Group H, and Urawares (7 points), the second place in Group J.
The situation was not unfavorable to Ulsan. Although the team could not aim for the No. 1 ranking in its group, it could have advanced to the round of 16 by itself if it wins the match. Melbourne, the second-ranked in Group H, was one point behind Ulsan.
However, the situation turned against Ulsan. In the 17th minute of the first half, Shin Yamada volleyed a cross from Yusuke Segawa, which was blocked by Cho with good reflexes. However, Daia Dono caught the second ball and shot it again, which was too close for Cho to stop.
He instantly conceded an additional goal. In the 31st minute of the first half, Cho Hyun-woo narrowed the angle and blocked the ball well, but as Ulsan failed to clear the ball properly, Kawasaki continued to attack, and Seko Tatsuki tricked the defense and penetrated Ulsan's defense with a sharp left-footed shot.
Still, there was Martin Adam in Ulsan. In the 44th minute of the first half, when Um Won-sang's cross from the right was deflected off the defense and flowed into the penalty box, Martin Adam connected it with his head and scored a chase goal. As the attack proceeded quickly in a free-kick situation, he immediately dominated the right position.
Martin Adam even tied the score. In the seventh minute of the second half, Kim Young-kwon was kicked by Yuto Matsunagane in the penalty box, and the referee declared a penalty without much thought. Martin Adam succeeded with an exquisite shot that flowed to the bottom left corner. It was a perfect trajectory that the goalkeeper could not prevent.
Since then, Ulsan has launched a total offensive, but failed to score an additional goal. The game ended 2-2 as it was, and Ulsan had to settle for one point.
Fortunately, the team made it to the round of 16. This was because the sixth Group H match between Melbourne and Zhejiang FC ended up being held 30 minutes earlier than the match with a score of 1-1. Melbourne took the lead when Tolkien Aslan scored the first goal in the ninth minute of the second half, but allowed Nyasha Mushekwe to score a dramatic equalizer in the ninth minute of extra time in the second half.
This will enable Ulsan to overcome its pain and advance to the round of 16 teams last season. In the ALC, the top five teams in the group and the third team with the highest score among the second-ranked teams in the group in the eastern region can advance to the round of 16, while Ulsan, which has 10 points, has higher points than Melbourne, the second-ranked team in Group H, and Urawa, the second-ranked team in Group J, with nine points, and thus has secured a berth to the round of 16 teams regardless of the results of their Group F and Group G matches.