On the same day that Asian Games player Hwang Sun-hong thrashed Kuwait 9-0, K League 1 Incheon United and Ulsan Hyundai got their Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League (ACL) campaigns off to a flying start with goal-festivities.
South Korea, who are aiming for a third consecutive Asian Games gold medal, thrashed Kuwait 9-0 in the first round of their men’s soccer group stage at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games with a hat-trick from Jung Woo-young, a brace from Cho Young-wook and goals from Baek Seung-ho, Uhm Won-sang, Park Jae-yong and Ahn Jae-joon.
In the ACL, Incheon United, the first professional soccer team to compete in the 20th anniversary of its founding, earned a thrilling debut victory over defending Japanese J-League champions Yokohama F. Marinos, 4-2.
Defending K League One champions Ulsan Hyundai also got off to a flying start in their ACL group stage opener, as Martin Adam’s hat-trick exploded to sink BG Pathum United (Thailand) 3-1.
Incheon rode a multi-goal performance from Hernandez to a 4-2 victory over Yokohama in Group G of the 2023-2024 ACL on Sept. 19 at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.
Incheon, making its first appearance in the ACL in 20 years since its founding in 2003, struck first with an own goal in the eighth minute.
Jung Dong-yoon’s ball from the left side of the penalty area overlapped the left flank, deflected off the foot of a diving Yokohama defender, hit the goalkeeper’s hand, and went straight into the net.
Goalkeeper Jun Ichimori was credited with an own goal.
Fighting back, Yokohama equalized in the 17th minute of the first half when Takuma Nishimura redirected a ball from the front of the goal area with a header from a corner kick on the left side.
Incheon added a second goal in the 37th minute on a counterattack.
After blocking a Yokohama attack in the 37th minute, Incheon sent a long pass from their own half straight to the front line, where Jerso used his quick feet to neutralize one defender before beating the keeper for the goal.
But the celebration was short-lived.
Yokohama got back on level terms in the 43rd minute when Miyauchi Hyo scored a header from a corner kick on the left side of the box.
In the first half, Incheon was out-shot 38%-62% and had the only shot on target, but managed to hold on for a 2-2 halftime score.
Incheon head coach Cho Sung-hwan subbed in Hernandez for Mugosa in the 16th minute of the second half, and the move proved to be a godsend.
Yokohama responded by bringing on South Korean national soccer team member Nam Tae-hee as a substitute in the 20th minute.
Incheon broke through on the counterattack in the 23rd minute when Hernandez dribbled over 50 meters and hit a powerful left-footed shot from the left side of the penalty area that hit the left post.
However, Hernandez got a taste of his own medicine in the 30th minute when he received a pass from Mpoku on a counter-attack and cut in from the right side of the penalty area before unleashing a powerful right-footed shot that proved to be the game-winner. 온라인카지노
Hernandez was also responsible for the wedge goal four minutes later. In the 34th minute, Hernandez, assisted by Mpoku, completed his multi-goal performance to sink Yokohama.