Korean champions Ulsan HD FC seeking 1st win, knockout berth at Club World Cup

Ulsan HD Kim Young-kwon speaks during the FIFA Club World Cup Trophy opening event held in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, March 6. Courtesy of Ulsan HD FC

Ulsan HD FC, three-time defending Korean football champions, will pursue a knockout berth at the expanded FIFA Club World Cup starting this week in the United States.

With 32 teams divided into eight groups of four, Ulsan HD, the lone K League 1 club in the competition, will play in Group F against Fluminense of Brazil, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, and Borussia Dortmund of Germany, widely regarded as the favorite to win the group.

Ulsan HD will open their campaign against Mamelodi Sundowns at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, at 6 p.m. Tuesday (7 a.m. Wednesday in Korean time).

Ulsan will then take on Fluminense at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at 6 p.m. Saturday (7 a.m. Sunday in Korea), before closing out the group stage against Borussia Dortmund at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 3 p.m. on June 25 (4 a.m. on June 26 in Korea).

The top two clubs from each group will qualify for the knockout stage.

This will be Ulsan's third Club World Cup appearance, following the 2012 and 2020 events. They finished sixth among seven teams in 2012 and last among six teams in 2020, going winless on both occasions. Starting this year, the Club World Cup will resemble the World Cup for national teams, being held every four years with 32 teams competing.

Although they have won each of the past three K League 1 titles, Ulsan HD are viewed as one of the weakest teams in the tournament.

The opening match against Mamelodi Sundowns represents Ulsan's best chance at pulling out a win in the group stage, with Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense expected to duel for the top seed out of Group F.

But the South African club, having won the past eight straight league titles, won't be a pushover, either. Ulsan head coach Kim Pan-gon said Sundowns have some speedy and powerful players, with their Portuguese head coach Miguel Cardoso having established a strong tactical framework since taking over in December 2024.

"We have to minimize our mistakes because they're a fast team," Kim told reporters at Ulsan's training camp in Charlotte, North Carolina, last week. "In terms of strength and physicality, we're not at their level. But I think our players have more skills and I've received reports that we can put up a good fight against that team."

At his prematch press conference in Orlando, Kim said he will try to represent the K League and Asia well at the FIFA tournament.

Ulsan HD FC players warm up before a training session for the FIFA Club World Cup at Atrium Health Performance Park in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S., June 14. Courtesy of Ulsan HD FC

"As important as results are, I think it's really important for us to represent the K League and show how competitive we are," Kim said. "My players understand this. I am confident they can leave a good impression on K League fans and do them proud."

Kim stressed the importance of the first match and said, "I'm really excited to see how it will play out."

"Against such a fast and well-organized team, we will have to play a good team defense," the coach said. "But that doesn't mean we will be solely focusing on defending. We've prepared some attacking strategies that can put pressure on the other team. The first 20 minutes will be crucial."

Both clubs feature highly rated goalkeepers. Jo Hyeon-woo is the reigning K League 1 MVP for Ulsan and he has also been the first-choice keeper for the Korean national team for a few years. He will be countered by Ronwen Williams, the 2024 African Goalkeeper of the Year as chosen by the Confederation of African Football. Also in 2024, Williams became the first goalkeeper to be nominated for the Yashin Trophy as the world's top goalkeeper while playing for an African club.

In an interview with FIFA.com, Jo said he was looking forward to facing clubs he'd never played before.

"Since we've never played against those teams, they're probably going to be tough games. But I think having a K League team compete in the Club World Cup will be a big boost for Korean football," he said. "I hope experiencing the Club World Cup will be a chance to develop personally. In football, you never know what the result will be and that's why everyone loves it. As Ulsan HD will be representing Korean football at the Club World Cup, we're aiming to reach the round of 16 and then go even further, and I'll do my absolute best to help make that happen."

Speaking to reporters in Orlando on the eve of the match, Jo said he was ready to enjoy playing at the big tournament.

"We're representing Korea here, and this is our opportunity to show how good a Korean club can be," Jo said. "We have a lot of great players at Ulsan. I can't wait to see just how well we'll execute our game plans."