(MHN 이규원 기자)

Ulsan HD has been eliminated from the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after suffering another group stage loss, falling 2-4 to Brazilian powerhouse Fluminense. The match, held on June 22 (KST) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, saw Ulsan concede early and ultimately fail to secure a spot in the tournament’s Round of 16.

Coming off a 0-1 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns on June 18, Ulsan found themselves at the bottom of Group F without a point, ranking third. With both Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense earning four points each, Ulsan now has no mathematical chance of advancing.

Manager Kim Pangon fielded a five-man defense featuring Rubikson, Lee Jae-ik, Milos Trojak, Kim Young-gwon, and Kang Sang-woo, with Eric and Um Won-sang leading the attack. Jin Hyun Lee, Go Seung-beom, and Bojanic took charge of the midfield in an attempt to threaten Fluminense on the counterattack. However, the Brazilian side dominated the early stages.

Fluminense’s John Arias opened the scoring with a precise free kick in the 26th minute. Ulsan quickly responded five minutes later, as Jin Hyun Lee finished off a cutback from Um Won-sang to register the team’s first goal of the tournament. In added time of the first half, Um Won-sang’s diving header saw Ulsan complete their comeback and take a 2-1 lead.

Nevertheless, Fluminense regrouped in the second half. Nonato leveled the score in the 66th minute after capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Ulsan, and Juan Freitas netted the winner in the 83rd minute. Keno sealed Fluminense’s win with a late stoppage-time goal. The match was attended by 29,321 spectators, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

Despite goalkeeper Jo Hyun-woo making four key saves, he expressed regret after the match, stating, “I thought I needed to stop at least ten shots today, but I couldn’t do that perfectly, which led to conceding too many goals.”

He added, “Just like when we beat Germany in 2018, we’ll give our best until the end to bring hope to our Ulsan fans.” Ulsan will play their final group match against Borussia Dortmund on June 26 at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Defender Kim Young-gwon emphasized, “The result against Dortmund could affect not just us but the K League and even the Korea Cup. If we focus, prepare well, and play a good match, it will have a positive impact on our team this season.”

Note “This article was translated from the original Korean version using AI assistance, and subsequently edited by a native-speaking journalist.”

Photo = Ulsan HD, Yonhap News