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| photo courtesy of the Korea Professional Football Association |
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| ReutersYonhap News |
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| 사진제공=울산HD |
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| 사진제공=울산HD |
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| 사진제공=울산HD |
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There are many familiar faces in the club Ulsan HD will face in the Club World Cup.
As a result of the draw for the FIFA Club World Cup in Miami on the 6th (Korea time), Ulsan was tied to Group F with Borussia Dortmund (Germany), the traditional Brazilian master, Fluminense (Brazil), and the Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa).
Dortmund is a team led by coach Park Joo-ho's 'best friend'Nuri Sahin who played for Ulsan in the past, Emre Jan, a former Leverkusen teammate of Son Heung-min (Tottenham), German midfielder Julian Brandt, U.S. midfielder Giovanni Reyna, German defender Niko Schloterbeck, and Dutch striker Do??Top players such as Maren, Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and Guinean striker Serhu Girasi are involved.
He finished second in the European Champions League in the 2023-2024 season and ranked fifth in the Bundesliga. On the 1st, Kim Min-jae drew 1-1 with Bayern Munich in 'Dare Clasiker'.
Fluminense is a traditional powerhouse who has won four Brazilian leagues. Last year 'South American Champions League" won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in the club's history and this year won the Lecopa Sudamericana to qualify for the club World Cup.
Thiago Silva, a former Brazilian national team captain and renowned as a 'Walkle defender' for prestigious European clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, is the captain. Veteran midfielder Henatu Augustu, who played for Leverkusen, Beijing Guoan, and Felipe Melu, a guard who was once considered a 'talent' surpassing Neymar, and young gun Kaa Elias, who was born in 2006, are representative faces of Pluminense. The match between Joo Min-gyu and Silva is a spectacular sight.
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| Dortmund-Bayern Munich match scene. AP Yonhap News |
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| Fluminense defender Thiago Silva. Source =Thiago Silva SNS |
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| Mamelody Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. AFP Yonhap News |
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One player to watch for in the South African club Mamelodi is Ronwen Williams, South Africa's main goalkeeper. Williams is the first African club to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or this year. He finished ninth with 27 points in this year's Yashin Prize. It is expected that Williams, who was selected as Africa's best goalkeeper in 2023, and Cho Hyun-woo, the 2024 K-League MVP, will face off.
The Club World Cup will be held in a new way, with the number of participating teams increasing significantly from 7 teams to 32. From June 15 to July 13, 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities will be engaged in a heat war for about a month. The 32 teams will be divided into 8 groups of 4 teams, and the top 1st and 2nd teams in each group will go to the round of 16 tournaments.
Ulsan CEO Kim Kwang-guk, who watched the draw ceremony at the site, said "It is all the more realistic to experience and meet FIFA's interest and efforts in this tournament and representatives of the participating teams in person." As it was a big opportunity that I won with difficulty, I will prepare to participate in the competition as the best team and perform well" expressed his determination.
Ulsan coach Kim Pan-gon said through the club, `It is an opportunity to compete with world-class clubs and increase the competitiveness of the club and the pride of the fans. We will play this winter and the beginning of next season as planned and show you our performance on the world stage," he said.
Meanwhile, Group A consists of Faumeiras (Brazil), Porto (Portugal), Al Ahli (Egypt), Inter Miami (USA), Group B consists of Paris Saint-Germain (France), Atletico (Spain), Botafogu (Brazil), Siedl Sounders (USA), and Group C consists of Kim Min-jae's team Bayern Munich (Germany), Auckland City (New Zealand), Boca Juniors (Argentina), and Benfica (Portugal).
Group D includes Flamengo (Brazil), Esperance de Toonis (Tunisia), Chelsea (England), Leon (Mexico), Group G includes Manchester City (England), Widad (Morocco), Al Ain (United Arab Emirates), Juventus (Italy), and Group H includes Real Madrid (Spain), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia), Pachuca (Mexico), and Red Bull Salzburg (Austria). If they win Group F in Ulsan, they will face the second place in Group E, and if they win Group F, they will face the first place in Group E. Group E includes Inter Milan (Italy), Riverplatte (Argentina), Urawarez (Japan), and Monterrey (Mexico). The long-awaited final will be held on July 13 at MetLife Stadium in New York.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
