Jeonju, October 21 (BNA) Pohang Steelers will meet Saudi Al Hilal in the AFC Champions League final next month, after beating defending champion Ulsan Hyundai 5-4 on penalties after their 1-1 draw at Jeonju Stadium on Sunday. Wednesday evening.
Pohang and Al Hilal are looking to win the first Asian Club Championship for the fourth time when they meet in Riyadh on November 23, as Leonardo Jardim’s team booked their place on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over fellow Saudis Al Nasr, Reuters reports.
Pohang confirmed his place in his first final since 2009 thanks to Australian defender Alex Grant’s late equalizer and his failure in the first round of penalties from Dutchman Davy Bolthuis.
Grant’s header canceled Yun Il-lok’s opener in the 52nd minute although the champions’ hopes were turned off in the 68th minute when captain Won Du-jae was sent off to lunge two feet on Lim Sang-hyub.
At that point, Ulsan was in control, although Pohang’s Lee Seung-mo hit the post with an early header.
Oh Se-hoon set his shot on a spin off goal at the other end in the first half that played at a slow pace and often lacked quality.
That was set to change after the second half with Ulsan leading seven minutes into the second half.
Seol Young-woo sprinted to the left before turning to Yoon Bit-garam, who mistook goalkeeper Lee Jun’s pass into Yun’s path and slashed the former Montpellier striker softly.
Ulsan could have added a second after just nine minutes. Leon hit the post while Lee Seung Moo unsuccessfully threatened on several occasions for Pohang.
Won’s sending off as the match went into the final quarter was costly for Ulsan when Grant fired home in the 89th minute with a consecutive header that flew out from inside Jo Hyun-Woo’s post.
Neither side could find a way through 30 minutes of extra time, taking the match to a penalty shoot-out as Bolthois hit the bar high over the bar with his team’s opening shot from the penalty spot.
Successful transfers from Lim, Kwon Wan-kyu, Kim Sung Joo and Jun Min Gwang leave captain Kang Sang Woo to score the winning penalty as Pohang won and is looking to add this year’s Asian title to those the club won in 1997, 1998 and 2009.