Ulsan prepares for Club World Cup, hopefully

By John Duerden

We may be in 2021 but soccer is not going to escape the shadow of the coronavirus any time soon.?It is going to be with the sport for some time to come.

The players of Ulsan Horangi ended 2020 by becoming the champions of Asia, defeating Persepolis of Iran in the final that took place in the Qatari capital of Doha in December.

That was an impressive achievement in itself but it also gave the Tigers a place in FIFA's Club World Cup. This competition features the champion of every continent. It gives Ulsan a fantastic chance to take on European titan Bayern Munich. It is the only chance it will ever get, at least in a competitive setting. There are also possible games against Al-Ahly of Egypt, Tigres of Mexico and the yet-to-be-confirmed South American champs.

It is a rare treat even if Korean teams have not exactly lit up the tournament in the past. Ulsan's regional rival Pohang Steelers did the best, reaching the semifinal back in 2009. That game against the famous Argentine team Estudiantes was also infamous as the Steelers had three men sent off but only lost 2-1.

This coming edition is the delayed 2020 tournament that usually takes place in December in Japan or the Middle East. It is set to start on Feb.1 though there is still some uncertainty surrounding the tournament. On Friday, Auckland City informed FIFA that it would not be able to make the journey to Qatar due to travel restrictions put in place by the New Zealand government.

It means that Oceania, the confederation in the South Pacific, will be without a representative at the tournament. At the moment, it just means that there are six teams involved rather than seven. If one more team drops out however then the whole thing will be really under threat. While there are obviously more important issues at stake around the world at the moment, missing out on the Club World Cup would be a real shame for Ulsan.

That is not the only international tournament that the Tigers have to look forward to. There is still the small matter of the 2021 AFC Champions League. This usually kicks off in February but it looks as if it will be April before the ball starts rolling. It also looks as if there will not be the usual home and away schedule.

Last year, the competition started as normal before being suspended in March. It resumed in November with all the games being played in Qatar ― the 2022 World Cup host is making a name for itself as a secure and safe 'bio-bubble' in these trying times.

It could well be that something similar will happen this year. As yet it seems that no East Asian country is willing to step forward so Ulsan may find itself returning to West Asia for an intensive international experience. That will be tricky to combine with the 2021 K League season but these are, to say the least, tricky times.