Jo Hyeon-woo (34, Ulsan)'s dazzling saves left a strong impression at the world tournament.
Ulsan Hyundai lost 0-1 to Borussia Dortmund (Germany) in the 3rd match of Group F of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup held on the 26th (Korea time) at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, U.S. With this, Ulsan finished at the bottom of the group with three losses, thus getting eliminated from the group stage.
In the 36th minute of the first half, Dortmund capitalized on a defensive mistake, with Swensen receiving a pass from Bellingham and scoring the decisive goal. Ulsan allowed a total of 28 shots and struggled throughout the match, holding only 37% possession.
National team goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo struggled hard, recording as many as 10 saves. He thwarted headers from Seru Girasi, shots from Karim Adeyemi, and critical attempts from Julian Duranville and Jan Kuto, leaving Dortmund's offense flustered.
The British 'BBC' noted, "Kuto was confident of scoring, but Jo Hyeon-woo saved it with a fingertip stop," and Dortmund's coach Niko Kovac also acknowledged, "Jo Hyeon-woo was excellent." 'ESPN' remarked, "Jo Hyeon-woo kept Dortmund to just one goal," shining a spotlight on his performance.
Although Ulsan left a disappointing result, Jo Hyeon-woo once again proved his worth on the world stage.
After the match, the German 'Kicker' released ratings for the players from both teams, with Jo Hyeon-woo receiving a solitary score of 1. The German media typically assigns player ratings on a scale from 1 to 6, with a score closer to 1 being better. Jo Hyeon-woo's score of 1 is considered 'perfect.'
Following Jo Hyeon-woo's brilliant saves, Dortmund stated on their official social media account, "Jo Hyeon-woo saved even Kuto's shot. We pay our respects to him," while fans reacted with comments such as, "Who is this Ulsan goalkeeper?" and, "Why is this goalkeeper playing in Korea instead of Europe?" and, "Can we recruit him as a backup for our goalkeeper Kobel?"
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