Ulsan fall to Fluminense and exit the Club World Cup early! How did it unfold?

Despite skeptical predictions about the spectacle of the game, Fluminense and Ulsan delivered a true football show.

Details: From the opening whistle, it was clear that Ulsan were happy to concede possession to Fluminense and play on the counterattack. The post-match stats told the story: the Brazilians controlled the ball for 75% of the game.

While methodically probing for an opening, Ulsan handed their opponents a lifeline by conceding a dangerous free kick. Arias stepped up and unleashed a brilliant strike to put his team ahead, 1-0.

After the opening goal, the red-and-greens didn’t let up, relentlessly pressing Ulsan’s back line. But Ulsan weathered the storm and managed to launch several counterattacks at the end of the first half, two of which resulted in goals. Jin-Hyeon Lee and Won-Sang Um found the net, turning the game on its head by halftime – 1-2.

After the break, the script stayed the same – Fluminense continued to dominate possession, working the ball around and searching for an equalizer.

Midway through the second half, Nonato capitalized on a poor clearance by Ulsan’s defenders, intercepted the ball, and fired a precise shot from the edge of the box into the bottom right corner – 2-2.

As the match approached its climax, Fluminense finally tipped the scales in their favor: first, Freitas smashed the ball home after a low cross from the wing, and then, in the 90'+2 minute, Keno sealed the deal with a powerful header – 4-2.

Read also: Mamelodi Sundowns lost to Dortmund. What needs to happen for a playoff berth?

With this result, Fluminense have four points after two rounds and top Group F, boasting a better goal difference than Borussia D.

Ulsan suffer their second straight defeat and bow out of the tournament early.