(LEAD) FC Seoul reach AFC Champions League quarters with shootout victory

(ATTN: ADDS comments, photo)
By Joo Kyung-don

SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- FC Seoul reached the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday after beating Urawa Red Diamonds 7-6 in a penalty shootout.

At the Seoul World Cup Stadium, the two sides entered the penalties after ending up deadlocked at 3-3 in the aggregate score after 120 minutes of play in their two-legged round of 16 tie.

At 2-2 in the penalties, Seoul captain and third kicker Osmar Barba blew his spot kick. Urawa could have finished the contest but their fifth kicker, goalkeeper Nishikawa Shusaku, was denied by his Seoul counterpart Yu Sang-hun.

After both sides converted ensuing chances, Yu then stepped up to block Yoshiaki Komai's kick. At 6-6, Kim Dong-woo scored the clincher to cap off the wild evening in the nation's capital.

Seoul are going to their first AFC Champions League (ACL) quarterfinals since 2014.

FC Seoul, the reigning Korea Football Association Cup winners, needed a win by two or more goals Wednesday, having lost the first leg 1-0 in Saitama, Japan, last week.

Seoul's Montenegrin striker Dejan Damjanovic scored the match's lone goal in regulation, and the showdown moved into extra time with the aggregate score even at 1-1. The away goals rule was thrown out the window in 30 minutes of extra time, and Adriano put FC Seoul in front three minutes in.

Urawa's Tadanari Lee, the 30-year-old Japanese player of Korean descent, scored two goals late in the second extra period to give the visitors a 3-2 aggregate lead. Just as Seoul's dream of advancing was fading away, Go Yo-han's last-gasp goal sent the match to the penalties, setting the stage for an exhilarating finish.

Seoul head coach Choi Yong-soo said that his team was lucky to get a victory.

"I don't want to play this kind of match again," Choi said with a smile. "But I believed in our players and I felt that god is on our side."

The 42-year-old coach said that both teams played great football, but claimed that his players had a better mindset.

"We had the belief that we were not going to lose," he said. "Our players showed an extraordinary level of concentration."

Seoul will join another South Korean club, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, in the last eight of the ACL. The Jeonju-based club reached the quarterfinals on Tuesday after beating Melbourne Victory.

This will be the first time since 2011 that two South Korean clubs are in the quarterfinals of the premier Asian club competition. Seoul and Jeonbuk are also currently the top two teams in the first-tier K League Classic standings.

Choi said he doesn't prefer specific opponents for the next round, as he just wants to focus on his team's own style of play.

"Teams that reach the quarters are all strong," he said. "We will just work on improving our performance."

Go Yo-han, whose extra-time goal saved Seoul from the elimination and sent the match to the penalty shootout, said that he was thrilled when his left-footed strike found the net.

"I had no other thoughts but to take the shot," Go said. "It was one of those matches that will be remembered forever in my football career."

Urawa head coach Mihailo Petrovic lamented their narrow loss. The Austrian said that they should have scored a goal in the second half to finish the showdown. Urawa were looking for their first quarterfinals appearance since 2008.

"It was a painful defeat," Petrovic said. "I thought we were prepared well for the match."

kdon@yna.co.kr
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