Ulsan Hyundai’s struggles in the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) continued as they fell 3-1 to Shanghai Port on Tuesday at Munsu Football Stadium. A hat-trick from Matias Vargas and defensive lapses sealed their fifth consecutive loss in the tournament, despite Shanghai playing with ten men for most of the match.
Vargas opened the scoring in the 11th minute, taking advantage of Ulsan’s sluggish defense to finish unchallenged in the box. He doubled the lead shortly after capitalizing on a misplaced pass from Ulsan’s Ko Seung-beom.
Shanghai lost center-back Li Ang to a red card in the 31st minute for a foul on Lee Chung-yong, but Ulsan failed to exploit their numerical advantage.
Joo Min-kyu pulled one back for the hosts in the 73rd minute with a well-timed header from a corner, marking Ulsan’s first goal of the ACLE season. However, Vargas dashed any hopes of a comeback with an 83rd-minute strike, once again exposing Ulsan’s defensive frailties.
Despite entering the match fresh off their third consecutive K League 1 title, Ulsan’s domestic dominance failed to translate on the international stage. The defeat raises concerns about the team’s ability to compete at the elite level.
Ulsan remain at the bottom of the ACLE group stage table following their fifth consecutive loss. They are the only K League 1 team yet to secure a win in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Gwangju FC have earned three victories from their first four matches, while the Steelers have registered two wins and two losses as of Wednesday’s update.