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| South Park Hotel (Charlatt, USA)/ 2025 FIFA Club World Cup/ Interview/ Ulsan Um Won-sang/Photo by Kim Jung-soo |
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| Atrium Health Performance Park (Charlatt, USA)/ 2025 FIFA Club World Cup/ Ulsan HDFC/ Training/ Ulsan Um Won-sang/ Photo Kim Jung-soo |
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| South Park Hotel (Charlatt, USA)/ 2025 FIFA Club World Cup/ Interview/ Ulsan Um Won-sang/Photo by Kim Jung-soo |
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[Orando (USA) = Reporter Kim Sung-won of Sports Chosun] The match is on the verge of a showdown. Ulsan HD will take its first step at the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025.
Ulsan will play the first Group F match against South Africa's strongest Marmelody Sundowns at Inter & Co Stadium in Orlando, Florida, at 7 a.m. on the 18th (Korea time). In the second game, Fluminensey (Brazil, 7 a.m. on the 22nd, New Jersey) and in the third game, Borussia Dortmund (Germany, 4 a.m. on the 26th, Cincinnati) will follow.
The first step is important to advance to the round of 16. Fluminensei is a top seed in Group F, and Dortmund is a European powerhouse that does not need to be explained. Ulsan coach Kim Pan-gon is preparing for a three-back with Kim Young-kwon on the left and right, centering on Trojac.
The key to the tactic is wingback. Rubik'sson is expected to be on the left and Um Won-sang is expected to be on the right. Rubik'sson also went back and forth between fullbacks and wingers in four backs. On the other hand, Um Won-sang is optimized for the winger position.
He said in an interview at the base camp of Ulsan at the 'Renaissance Charlotte South Park" in Charlotte, North Carolina on the 16th, `I always trained with strikers, but I didn't know where the defenders were in. I think it's really hard. As I kept going out, Myung-kwan (three years younger) got angry. After being awkward, "I keep going back and forth, I think I'm going to die because I'm physically tired." Still, the coach trusts me and wingbacks are important, so I'm trying to do my best."
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| Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium/ K League1/ Ulsan HDFC vs. Gimcheon Sangmu Football Team/ Ulsan Um Won-sang/ Photo by Kim Jung-soo |
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| Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium/ K League1/ Ulsan HDFC vs Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors/ Ulsan Signature Hall/ Photo by Kim Jung-soo |
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Um Won-sang also smiles with Rubik's hands. I do it as a joke why we're here. I think this is what happened because I was looking for a good combination, but Rubik'sson moves well even in three-back. I'm worried, but the coach said it's okay so far. "If I do well here, I'm good for the team as well as the team, and I think it'll be helpful if I play a three-back position in the A national team. But honestly, I don't know if I can do well. I'll do my best," he stressed.
It's a war against heat. It's basic to go over 30 degrees Celsius. Humidity is also close to 90 percent. Um Won-sang "The environment was so good, but it was so hot that it was not easy to adapt. Orlando is hotter than Charlotte, so I'm in trouble."
And "We're in the challenger's position. If he had won the K-League for three consecutive years and was checked, he could have prepared comfortably here. I don't know my style, so there must be an advantage in that regard. There are world-class players, and every game is a big motivation. I will move differently from what I did in the K League. If we do that well, we can show good performance in the K-League as well."
Um Won-sang is the mountain history of the "Ulsan Dynasty". In 2022, he scored 12 goals and 6 assists, the most in the team, in his first season, helping him shake off his first championship drought in 17 years. In 2023 and last year, he also scored four goals and four goals and two assists, respectively, on the injury reef. He has one goal and three assists in 18 games this season.
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| Atrium Health Performance Park (Charlatt, USA)/ 2025 FIFA Club World Cup/ Ulsan HDFC/ Training/ Ulsan Um Won-sang/ Photo Kim Jung-soo |
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The biggest concern is injury. I've been on a sharp upward curve lately, but I haven't found a way out enough to talk about 'Trauma' even at the beginning of this season. Um Won-sang "I never thought that much. However, he was originally an injury-free player, but he comes to Ulsan and gets hurt once a year. Personally, I didn't take care of myself, but I think I do that without realizing it. I think he's worried that he might get hurt at any time."
The Club World Cup is a stage of opportunity. You can experience the 2026 North Korea-China World Cup a year ahead. If he/she performs best, it can be a channel for overseas expansion.
He said "The national team is always greedy. The seat is a place you can't go carelessly. It's a place for players who are good at going, and it's not just greed, but I can go well. There's still time left, and I think there's a lot to show you. The national team is always aiming." Let's say, "'Experiencing America first can be a strength.'"I don't think it's a World Cup in the United States, I've only seen this tournament. It's refreshing to say that. I'll do my best, thinking of it as "pre-investigation"I laughed.
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| South Park Hotel (Charlatt, USA)/ 2025 FIFA Club World Cup/ Interview/ Ulsan Um Won-sang/Photo by Kim Jung-soo |
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Um Won-sang is greedy about overseas expansion. I want to go on the European stage, and I have to do better because many people will watch it in a big competition. Our goal is to reach the round of 16, and we set a goal of one win and two at the pre-tournament meeting. If you go up there, there will be more opportunities."
Finally, he said, `I don't know what the game will be like, but first of all, I don't want a run from my side because it's a three-back wing-back position. I changed my mind, too. While training in the defense side, there is an obsession that if I make a mistake, I lose a point. "I wish I didn't lose a point, but even if I do, I don't want it from my side." He smiled again, throwing up a simple wind.
Um Won-sang is a quasi-leg who runs 100 meters in 11 seconds. His sprint is Ulsan's hope.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
