(LEAD) FC Seoul reaches semifinals at AFC Champions League with shootout victory

(ATTN: ADDS photo, comments in paras 9-13)
By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 27 (Yonhap) -- FC Seoul reached the semifinals of the AFC Champions League on Wednesday with a shootout victory over fellow South Korean club Pohang Steelers.

FC Seoul's goalkeeper Yu Sang-hun stopped Pohang's first three shooters, helping his team to a 3-0 victory on penalties in the second leg of the quarterfinals at the continent's top club competition. The two K League Classic clubs played the regulation and the 30-minute extra period without a goal at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

The two sides had ended the first leg in a scoreless draw last week. With the away goals rule in effect -- the team with more goals on the road is declared the winner if the aggregate score ends in a tie -- Pohang needed to score at least a goal in a draw to move on to the semis, but came up short in the shootout.

FC Seoul was the runner-up to Guangzhou Evergrande of China at last year's AFC Champions League.

FC Seoul will face the winner of the quarterfinal series between Guangzhou and Western Sydney Wanderers of Australia. The opening leg of the semifinals will be held on Sept. 17, and the second leg will be played on Oct. 1.

Western Sydney defeated Guangzhou 1-0 in the opening leg at home last week. Their second leg in Guangzhou started 90 minutes after the match in Seoul.

In the penalties, Yu stopped the first three Pohang shooters. He grabbed Hwang Ji-soo's low shot to his right, and then punched out Kim Jae-sung's attempt diving to his left. Yu then made another save diving to his left, this time on Park Hee-chul's low strike.

Everton Santos scored on Shin Hwa-yong as FC Seoul's first kicker. Osmar Barba also converted his chance. Shin stopped Kim Jin-kyu's FC Seoul's third kicker, but Mauricio Molina, the fourth taker, converted his shot to clinch the victory before 14,000 fans at home.

Afterward, FC Seoul's head coach Choi Yong-soo gave kudos to Yu, who is normally a backup to more experienced Kim Yong-dae.

"I lost sleep last night over who I should put in the net for this match," Choi said. "The goalkeeper position gives me the worst headache. I settled on Yu before the match, and he came through in the most crucial moment. I am giving him all the credit in the world."

Hwang Sun-hong, the losing coach, said he was disappointed but had no regrets over the defeat.

"All the players and coaches gave the best they had," Hwang said. "We'll try to give ourselves another opportunity at this tournament next year."

Having second-guessed his selection of the kickers in the shootout, Hwang said, "I had to trust my players. I thought long and hard about my choices, and I don't regret sending them out there. They did their best."

After cagey opening moments, FC Seoul assumed the role of the aggressor, winning one-on-one battles for the loose ball and taking control of the offense. With Pohang unable to muster much offense early, FC Seoul midfielder Go Yo-han took a pass deep in the box, before defender Kim Hyung-il cleared the ball out of play in the 12th minute.

Park Sun-ju tried to get things going for Pohang in the 20th minute but his volley attempt near the penalty spot went well off target.

FC Seoul went back on the attack seven minutes later, as Park Hee-sung teed one up for Osmar Barba. The charging Spaniard, though, airmailed it into the stands.

Yun Il-lok took a pretty feed from Go at the half-hour mark, but his weak shot rolled harmlessly into the arms of Pohang goalkeeper Shin Hwa-yong.

Yun was back on the prowl in the 38th, though he shot one well above the net after splitting two Pohang defenders.

Pohang was more assertive to start the second half, as Kim Jae-sung launched a 48th-minute strike that went just wide of the net.

Afterward, neither team threatened to get on board. FC Seoul's Cha Du-ri had an open look near the right edge of the box in the 53rd minute but shot high and wide right.

It was more than half an hour later that Pohang managed another chance, but FC Seoul keeper Yu Sang-hun made an easy save on Kim Seung-dae's lobbing attempt.

In the opening moments of the 30-minute extra time, Pohang's Kim Jae-sung had a free kick opportunity from outside the left edge of the area but missed the far post.

Kim had another free kick seven minutes from the whistle, but the shot was just kept out by the diving Yu in the Seoul net.

In the very next minute, Osmar Barba tried to redirect a cross with his head, but the attempt missed the right post.

Pohang lost a man in the 26th minute when defender Shin Kwang-hoon was sent off on his second yellow of the night, and FC Seoul turned up the heat. In the 29th, Sergio Escudero got off a low shot from point blank range, but goalkeeper Shin Hwa-yong blocked it out to preserve the deadlock and set up the stage for the dramatic finish in the shootout.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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