Unbelievable Turnaround! Yokohama’s First Round Debacle Followed by Dominating Ulsan: Sends K League Leader to the Bottom with Consecutive Defeats

On October 2, the second round of matches in the East Asian Zone of the AFC Champions League (ACL) concluded. Ulsan HD, the leader of the South Korean K League, suffered a humiliating 0-4 defeat away to Yokohama F. Marinos, placing them at the bottom of the East Asian Zone after two consecutive losses, performing even worse than some teams from the Chinese Super League (CSL).

The revamped ACL not only changed the first stage to a pseudo-Swiss system but also adopted a cross-season format, which suits West Asian teams better. In the East Asian Zone, with the domestic leagues of China, Japan, and South Korea nearing their ends, most title-contending teams have struggled.

The two title-chasing teams from the CSL, Shanghai Port and Shanghai Shenhua, both lost their second-round matches 0-3. Shandong Taishan, who are already without ambitions in the CSL and focusing on two cup competitions, also lost 1-2 to Vissel Kobe, but the scoreline was relatively respectable.

In contrast, Ulsan HD, the leader of the South Korean K League, lost 0-1 to Kawasaki Frontale in the first round of the Korean-Japanese clash. In the second round, they faced Yokohama F. Marinos, who have no ambitions left in the J League, and conceded two goals in each half, resulting in a 0-4 defeat. Yokohama F. Marinos not only avenged their 3-7 loss to Gwangju FC in the first round but also highlighted Ulsan HD’s struggle in balancing their pursuit of the K League title with their performance in the ACL.

The current top teams in the East Asian Zone include Johor Darul Ta’zim, the dominant force in Malaysia, who can handle multiple fronts, and Buriram United from the Thai League, whose domestic league has just started, preserving their energy. Only Vissel Kobe, who still have a chance to defend their title in the J League, managed a record of one win and one draw.

From the poor performances of the leading teams in the Chinese and Korean leagues, it is clear that the exhaustion from their domestic seasons will likely continue to impact their results in the ACL.