FC Seoul thrills again in Asian Champions League

By John Duerden

Could last week be when South Korea finally fell in love with the Asian Champions League? More than a few journalists left stadiums in Jeonju and especially Seoul claiming they had rarely seen such excitement in the K-League Classic.

The country has an excellent record in continental club competitions, winning the main title 10 times, equal to the combined total for the next two most successful nations ― Japan and Saudi Arabia. Yet Asian action has often failed to stir the passions in the Land of the Morning Calm.

More games like last week’s, and excitement could rise.

Jeonbuk Motors and FC Seoul made it through to the last eight of the tournament, which will now take a break until the end of August. This means both clubs can forget about the continent for a while and focus on domestic matters, but fans of Seoul will struggle to forget recent events anytime soon.

It was the round of 16. Seoul, impressive in the group stage, had been drawn with Urawa Reds. The first leg in Japan ended in a 1-0 win for the host. That gave Seoul, looking to reach the quarterfinal for the third time in the past four years, plenty to do at home.

When Dejan Damjanovic scored in the first half, he leveled the tie but Seoul just could not get the goal it needed to move ahead. The game went into extra time and shortly after it started, Damjanovic's strike partner Adriano struck for his 11th goal of the tournament. Seoul was going through.

All of a sudden, after almost 110 minutes of soccer, Tadanari Lee scored for Urawa and it was level. Moments later, he scored again. Now the Reds were progressing. Seoul was heading out. But then, with the last kick of the game, in the 122nd minute, Go Yo Han left fly from outside the area and the ball was in the net ― and it was 2-2 on the night and 3-3 on aggregate.

The game went to a penalty shootout and that too was memorable. Seoul missed its first kick but ended up winning 7-6, moving into the last eight. Just watching the game was draining. Afterwards, Urawa coach Mihailo Petrovic could not hide his disappointment. “The most painful defeat,” he said. Seoul boss, Choi Yong-soo, was actually smiling, a rare occasion to follow a rare contest.

The previous evening there was another contest that may not have been quite so dramatic but was entertaining nonetheless. Jeonbuk overcame the challenge of Melbourne Victory.

The first leg ended 1-1 in Australia, meaning the odds on Jeonbuk, never long, shortened. Leonardo scored Jeonbuk's goal in Melbourne with a free kick and then did the same in the first half at Jeonju. He then managed another fine goal in the second half and with a two-goal advantage, the Korean champs were cruising. But then Besart Berisha scored with seven minutes remaining and suddenly there was tension and nerves.

Choi Kang-hee's men hung on and now wait until August for the next games. In June, the pair will discover their opponents. It could be each other.

It would perhaps be fitting. The teams have been in the top two positions in the league pretty much since the season started. The question of which competition the two teams would prefer to win is an interesting one. They will be aiming to win both. For now, though, they can relax in the knowledge that they are safely into the last eight, and in the most exciting of fashions.