Sunday, March 05, 2006

GAMENIGHT ACL: VERDY vs. Ulsan Horang I



Wednesday night marks the "Home" of a Home and Home clash between Tokyo Verdy 1969 and the newly crowned Korean Super Cup champions Ulsan Hyundai Horang I. Ulsan qualified for the ACL by defeating Incheon United 6-3 on aggregate in a home and home playoff. Led by reigning K-League MVP Lee Chun Soo and K-league leading scorer Leandro Machado, Ulsan presents a formidable opponent for the newly reformed Tokyo Verdy.

The most comparable team to Ulsan is probably the Urawa Reds. Filled with National team members and backed by the deep pockets of a large automobile manufacturer (Ulsan-Hyundai, Urawa-Mitsubishi) the club has been known for having "Bridesmaid Syndrome", only claiming league titles in 1996 and 2005. It seems like their fortune is turning around after claiming the league cup in December. Ulsan has continued it's run of success by claiming the Korean Super Cup today in a closely contested 1-0 battle against Chonbuk Motors. Ulsan defender Jang Sang Won put in a header in the dying moments of the game to seal up the second trophy for Ulsan and claim the MVP honors for himself.

It was a bittersweet day for the Korean Champs as National Team captain and former Yokohama F Marinos/Kashiwa Reysol player Yoo Sang Chul decided to hang up his boots for good. Yoo rejected offers from Japan and Australia because his injuries stunted his game too much.

PROBABLE LINEUPS: HAHAHA! Your guess is as good as mine on this.

TIME AND PLACE: 7pm.....March 8th.......Tokyo National Stadium

No comments: