South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai Tigers were crowned the Asian football club champion Saturday after beating Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia 3-0.
Ulsan Hyundai
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The new champion rejoiced after the victory at home in Ulsan, about 410 kilometers south of Seoul. It was the Korean club's first AFC Champions League triumph in its third try.
The victory also qualified Ulsan for the FIFA Club World Cup next month in Japan, where champions of six continental football confederations plus the league winner of the host nation will collide.
Ulsan didn't lose any of the 12 games it played in the AFC Champions League this year, with 10 victories and two draws dating back to the group stage that began in March. Winger Lee Keun-ho was named the most valuable player of the tournament
Captain Kwak Tae-hwi headed in the first goal early in the match, and Rafinha and midfielder Kim Seung-yong added a goal apiece in the second half, as Ulsan became the third AFC champion from the K-League in the last four years.
Kwak set the tone in the 12th minute, jumping over two Al Ahli defenders to head in a free kick by Kim Seung-yong.
Following Kwak's goal, Ulsan players grew a bit careless on their own end and botched a few clearing attempts near the penalty area.
In the 37th, Victor Simoes had his shot from the top of the box blocked by Ulsan defenders. Two minutes later, Motaz Al Musa stole the ball from Kwak at the top of the arc but struck the ball wide right off the goalmouth.
Ulsan was put on the back of its heels to open the second half as the Saudi side tried to draw even. Then in the 67th, Rafinha put the home team up by two with a header. The Brazilian forward put his head on a Kim Shin-wook cross by diving between two Al Ahli defenders.
Kim Seung-yong put the match out of reach in the 74th, pouncing on a loose ball from the left side of the box and striking it past Abdullah Al Muaiouf in net.
Kim Shin-wook almost made it a four-goal victory with three minutes remaining, but the 196-centimeter striker headed the ball off the crossbar. He put one in the back of the net in injury time but the play was called offside.
The K-League has now produced 10 Asian club football champions -- more than any other on the continent -- dating back to the days of the Asian Champion Club Tournament in 1967. (Yonhap News)
The victory also qualified Ulsan for the FIFA Club World Cup next month in Japan, where champions of six continental football confederations plus the league winner of the host nation will collide.
Ulsan didn't lose any of the 12 games it played in the AFC Champions League this year, with 10 victories and two draws dating back to the group stage that began in March. Winger Lee Keun-ho was named the most valuable player of the tournament
Captain Kwak Tae-hwi headed in the first goal early in the match, and Rafinha and midfielder Kim Seung-yong added a goal apiece in the second half, as Ulsan became the third AFC champion from the K-League in the last four years.
Kwak set the tone in the 12th minute, jumping over two Al Ahli defenders to head in a free kick by Kim Seung-yong.
Following Kwak's goal, Ulsan players grew a bit careless on their own end and botched a few clearing attempts near the penalty area.
In the 37th, Victor Simoes had his shot from the top of the box blocked by Ulsan defenders. Two minutes later, Motaz Al Musa stole the ball from Kwak at the top of the arc but struck the ball wide right off the goalmouth.
Ulsan was put on the back of its heels to open the second half as the Saudi side tried to draw even. Then in the 67th, Rafinha put the home team up by two with a header. The Brazilian forward put his head on a Kim Shin-wook cross by diving between two Al Ahli defenders.
Kim Seung-yong put the match out of reach in the 74th, pouncing on a loose ball from the left side of the box and striking it past Abdullah Al Muaiouf in net.
Kim Shin-wook almost made it a four-goal victory with three minutes remaining, but the 196-centimeter striker headed the ball off the crossbar. He put one in the back of the net in injury time but the play was called offside.
The K-League has now produced 10 Asian club football champions -- more than any other on the continent -- dating back to the days of the Asian Champion Club Tournament in 1967. (Yonhap News)
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