Fluminense Goes Top of Group F with a Thrilling 4-2 Comeback Victory over Ulsan HD
- Daniel Rebain
- Jun 21
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 23
Photo credit: EFE
East Rutherford, NJ — The first two games of the 2025 Club World Cup at MetLife Stadium produced mixed results. First, it was Palmeiras and FC Porto producing an entertaining 0-0 draw, but that was followed up by Borussia Dortmund and Fluminense playing a "low-event" game, also resulting in a 0-0 draw.
Two straight games, four halves of no goals for the fans in East Rutherford, New Jersey. That was until Saturday night, when Fluminense returned to the swamp to take on South Korean side Ulsan HD FC.
In total, there were six goals scored, world-class saves by each goalkeeper, and an all-around excellent soccer match played in front of 29,321 spectators on a beautiful New Jersey night.
The game started how you would expect it to, with Fluminense looking like a much superior side. It didn't take long for the Brazilian side to come knocking on the door.
In just the second minute, a Jhon Arias corner kick found the foot of Ganso at the penalty spot, and Hyeon-Woo Jo was forced to make a diving save to his right. Seven seconds later, a failed clearance from Ulsan would fall right back to Ganso, and his shot from the edge of the box forced Jo into a desperation save to push the ball over the crossbar and out for a corner kick.
The pressure inside the Ulsan defensive third would continue and Fluminense would find a breakthrough in the 27th minute off the foot of Jhon Arias. On a direct free kick from about ~25 yards out, Arias hit the ball so pure and precisely into the top right corner of the net that Jo had no chance at making a save.
Even with just under 30,000 fans, MetLife Stadium erupted as Fluminense scored their first goal of the tournament.
It took them a while, but Ulsan found their game after half an hour of play as the South Koreans started to hit Fluminense on the counterattack.
After a turnover, Darijan Bojanic sprayed a ball down the right wing into the path of Won-Sang Um, and Ulsan was off to the races. Um took on his defender and was able to get a cross off that made its way through the box and into the path of Jin-Hyun Lee at the far post.
Despite being at a very acute angle, Lee was able to sneak his shot inside the near post and equalize for Ulsan in the 37th minute, right in front of the Fluminense supporters.
In the last minute of stoppage time in the first half, Ulsan would shock the soccer world and take the lead. Jin-Hyun Lee would repay the favor to Won-Sang Um with a cross into the box, and Um went all out, connecting on a diving header that beat a diving Fabio at the near post. And just like that, it was Ulsan leading 2-1 after 45 minutes.
After dominating the first 30 minutes of this game, Fluminense saw themselves whistled and boo'd off the pitch by their fans.
Things almost went from bad to worse for Fluminense in the 56th minute. Won-Sang Um had the chance to make it a 3-1 game after making an incredible diagonal run at midfield, but his decision-making let him down.
Instead of shooting while one-on-one with Fabio, Um was caught by the trailing defender, and his ensuing left-footed shot would go wide of the left post after he slipped on the turf. That miss would be the turning point of the match for the Brazilians.
Unfortunately for Um, he would have to be subbed off after a major collision with Fluminense goalkeeper Fabio in the 71st minute.
I asked Fluminense head coach Renato Gaúcho what he said to his team at halftime. He said he could not share what was said, but he did say, "We lost our focus at the end of the first half and they made us pay. We came back with a different attitude in the second half.”
Just ten minutes after that Um miss, Fluminense would get their equalizer and tie this game at 2-2. Gaúcho would see an instant impact from one of his subs as Nonato would score just five minutes after stepping onto the pitch.
Ulsan's Milosz Trojak blocked a cross that fell right to Nonato at the top of the box, and with just two touches, saw his shot float past a helpless Hyeon-Woo Jo. It was game on!
The South Koreans tried to hold on as long as they could to try and leave MetLife Stadium with a point, but Fluminense's sheer attacking pressure was too much for Ulsan, and they would take the lead with just minutes left on the clock.
Fluminense had 12 corners in this match and they would finally connect. Hyeon-Woo Jo would be able to get a punch to the first ball, but German Cano was able to corral the ball, and his failed "shot" on target worked as a pass straight to Juan Freytes at the six-yard box to hammer Fluminense in front for good.
It was a greasy and scrappy goal scored by Freytes, his first goal ever for the club, but that goal meant something to this Fluminense squad. The Fluminense supporters went nuts behind the goal as the bench poured onto the pitch and piled onto the Argentinian centerback.
It was an incredible comeback to watch from the point of view of any Fluminense supporter, but it was an awful way to lose a game if you were a Ulsan fan.
Fluminense would get a much needed insurance goal two minutes into stoppage time when Jhon Arias, who was named man of the match, crossed the ball onto the head of Keno to double the Brazilians' lead and secure the three points.
"I think we gave it all," Ulsan midfielder Gustav Ludwigson said after the game. "Like, we left nothing on the field, so we cannot be anything other than satisfied with our performance. We played a very good team, so it's not only up to us. Sadly, we couldn't keep up in the second half."
Ulsan is officially eliminated from the 2025 Club World Cup, but the South Koreans showed that Asia can produce quality soccer teams.
With the victory, Fluminense is now tied with Borussia Dortmund for first place in Group F with four points. Fluminense has a goal difference advantage and will clinch a place in the knockout rounds with just a draw Wednesday night against third-place South African side Mamelodi Sundowns.
Match Facts
Fluminense: 4-2-3-1 (HC: Renato Gaúcho)
Fabio (GK); Gabriel Fuentes, Juan Freytes, Thiago Silva, Guga; Hercules, Martinelli; Kevin Serna, Ganso, Jhon Arias; German Cano
Bench: Everaldo, Agustin Canobbio, Paulo Baya, Keno, Joaquin Lavega, Vinicius Lima Ruben Lezcano, Nonato, Facundo Bernal, Ignacio, Manoel Messias, Thiago Santos, Rene, Samuel Xavier, Vitor Eudes
Ulsan HD FC: 4-1-4-1 (HC: Kim Pangon)
Hyeon-Woo Jo (GK); Jae-ik Lee, Young-Gwon Kim, Milosz Trojak, Sang-Woo Kang; Darijan Bojanic; Gustav Ludwigson, Seung-Beom Ko, Jin-Hyun Lee, Won-Sang Um; Erick Farias
Bench: Yool Heo, Yago Cariello, Matias Lacava, Jae-Seok Yoon, Woo-Young Jung, Min-Hyeok Kim, In-Woo Back, Heui-Kyun Lee, Chung-Yong Lee, Seok-Hyeon Choi, Min-Woo Kim, Min-Woo Kang, Min-Seo Park, Seong-Min Ryu, Jung-In Moon
Scoring Summary (Fluminense/Ulsan)
27': Jhon Arias (1-0)
37': Jin-Hyun Lee (1-1)
45+3: Won-Sang Um (1-2)
66': Nonato (2-2)
83' Juan Freytes (3-2)
90+2': Keno (4-2)
Stats (Fluminense/Ulsan)
Possession: 70% - 30%
Shots: 25 (8) - 10 (3)
Big Chances: 3 - 1
Expected Goals (xG): 1.67 - 0.87
Passing: 589 (91%) - 219 (79%)
Fouls: 4 - 14
Corners: 12 - 4
Discipline
90+5': Keno (Yellow)
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