“We need to let the players rest quickly.”
Ulsan Hyundai coach Hong Myung-bo, who secured a ticket to the round of 16 of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League (ACL)
following two consecutive losses in the K-League 1, said this after the final game of the season.
Ulsan, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, recorded a 2-2 draw with Martin Adam’s multiple goals in the home game against Kawasaki in the final 6th game of Group I of the 2023-2024 ACL group stage held at Ulsan Munsu Stadium on the 12th. Ulsan, with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses (10 points)
secured second place following Kawasaki (16 points), which had already secured first place in the group.
Tickets to the ACL round of 16 will be given to the top three teams among the first place in each group (five teams each from East and West Asia) and the five teams from each region that took second place.
Ulsan won first out of three places by beating Melbourne City (Australia, 9 points), second place in Group H, and Urawa Reds, second place in Group J (7 points). 토토사이트
Ulsan was already dragged down by giving up two goals in the first half due to Kawasaki’s sharp counterattack with 1.5 troops
but Adam managed to draw with a header and a penalty kick equalizer in the second half.
Ulsan won its second ACL championship in 2020. They reached the semifinals in 2021, but packed up in the group stage last year.
After two years, we reached the round of 16 again and were looking at the star for the third time.
Coach Hong said, “I am happy that we advanced to the round of 16 as a result. However, it was not easy for the players from late October (when they won the K League early) to December.
I felt comfortable with the (league) win, but my motivation was low,” he said. “I spent a lot of energy in each important game.
He said, “It was a longer season than any other year. “Still, I would like to say congratulations to the player who won the K-League title and advanced to the round of 16 of the ACL.”
Regarding preparations for next season, “It’s too early to talk about it yet. The season is now over. We need to make up for the shortcomings.
The ACL round of 16 schedule has been released. “We need to prepare for the ACL and next year’s league in detail, including how much rest to give,” he emphasized.
Lee Chung-yong, who wore the captain’s armband and played as a third-line midfielder that day, said,
I prepared for the game to win, but I feel disappointed. Still, he is happy to have advanced to the round of 16.
We achieved our desired goal by winning the league and advancing to the round of 16 of the ACL. “I feel proud,” he said.
He filled the gap in the third line in the second half of the year after Park Yong-woo (Al Ain) left for the Middle East last summer.
Regarding this, he said, “I felt that it was not an easy position.
Having a player who is a good fit for this position next year will be of great help to the team.
I hope that a player who is both aggressive and can help with defense will join us.”