Ulsan HD welcomes Banfore Kofu (Japan) to the tiger’s den for their first match of the season.
Ulsan will host Banfore Kofu in the first leg of the 2023-2024 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) Round of 16 first leg at the Munsu Football Stadium on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Ulsan qualified for the round of 16 after finishing second in the ACL group stage with three wins, one draw and two losses and 10 points. They will look to showcase the power of the K League 1 champions against Kofu, who are making waves in the ACL as a J League 2 side. It will be the first time in four years since 2020 that Ulsan will attempt to regain the 카지노사이트 Asian title.
It will be Ulsan’s first official match in eight weeks since their 2-2 draw with Kawasaki Frontale in the sixth round of the group stage on Dec. 12 last year. The schedule is earlier than usual due to the ACL switching to the Autumnal Equinox, but Ulsan has experience in the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup, the last time Hong Myung-bo took full charge of the team.
The team warmed up in Ishigaki and Kagoshima, Japan, from March 12 to April 4. The team played six practice matches against teams from Japan’s J-League 1 and 2 to improve their organizational skills. With the addition of Cho Hyun-woo, Kim Young-kwon, and Seol Young-woo, who were called up for the Asian Cup in Qatar, the team is preparing for the 2024 season with a full squad for the first time.
“We have won the league for two seasons,” said Hong Myung-bo. This time, we have a lot of new players. We haven’t had much time to train together, but I think the veteran players will do a good job. Two years of trophies will give us know-how. I also believe that the captain will lead the team well.”
Ulsan named its captaincy for the new season on Saturday. Kim Ki-hee, a stalwart leader who anchored a team that faltered in the middle of last season, will serve as captain. Last season’s top scorer Lee Min-kyu, veteran midfielder Kim Min-woo, and Uhm Won-sang, who will serve as a bridge between the older and younger siblings, were named vice captains.
“We will take on more responsibility and help the team move in the right direction and achieve its goals,” the four players said in unison.
Ulsan added a number of new faces in the transfer market this winter. The club brought in Mateus from Brazil’s U-23 national team and Faumeiras to fill a defensive midfield spot that was a weakness last season. In Bacco’s place, the team transfused Kelvin “Crack” Kelvin, who has a mythical rise from the Brazilian fourth division to the top flight. The existing foreign quartet of Martin Adam, Ataru, Rubixson, and Bojanic further strengthened the first, second, and third lines.
In addition, Ulsan has added depth in all positions with all-weather midfielders Kim Min-woo and Ko Seung-beom, central defender and defensive midfielder Hwang Seok-ho, and fullback Shim Sang-min. Hong Myung-bo has decided to play a faster tempo of soccer than the previous two seasons. It is encouraging to see that the existing resources and new faces are competing in good faith to earn the coach’s seal of approval.
This Kofu match is the first 90 minutes of 180 minutes. The goal is to get the new season off to a good start at home. The second leg will be played at the Tokyo National Stadium on April 21 at 6pm.