For Korea Republic goalkeeper Jo Hyeonwoo, 2020 was a tough year. Before the start of the season, he transferred from Daegu FC, the club where he made his professional debut, to Ulsan HD, one of the top contenders for the K League 1 title. Jo went on to deliver outstanding performances in his first season with the club, earning him the K League 1 Best Goalkeeper award. However, in the title race, Ulsan fell short.
Later that year, while Jo was sidelined from the squad after testing positive for COVID-19, Ulsan went on to win the AFC Champions League.
That’s why the Ulsan star wants to enjoy this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup™ to the utmost, staying healthy and hopefully racking up some good results.
Speaking with FIFA, the 33-year-old said: “The Club World Cup will be a huge global festival of football. It’s also deeply meaningful for me personally. It’s a very significant tournament for the whole team, and I plan to enjoy it. I’m really excited to be going into it.”
Jo has already proven his skills on a global level with his national team. Although Korea Republic were eliminated in the group stage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™, Jo’s brilliant performances saw him start all three matches and it was in their game against Germany that he became Korea’s World Cup hero.
Thanks to six crucial saves that day, Korea Republic earned a 2-0 victory in their final group stage match, ending the tournament on a high note. Defending champions Germany could find no way past Jo’s impenetrable shield and were eliminated from the World Cup in the group the stage for the first time in history.
At the Club World Cup, Ulsan HD will play the South African side Mamelodi Sundowns FC in Orlando on 17 June before heading to New York New Jersey on 21 June to face Fluminense FC of Brazil. They round out the group stage against Germany’s Borussia Dortmund in Cincinnati on 25 June.
After that experience against Germany seven years ago, Jo Hyeonwoo is especially keen to face Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund this summer.
He said, “Germany holds special meaning for me and so I’m looking forward to taking on Dortmund most of all. I think it’s worked out really well. I’m ready to deliver a great performance, and I think I’ll enjoy it. That’s likely to motivate me even more to play at the top of my game.”
The veteran custodian is also relishing the chance to face teams from Africa and South America, an opportunity Ulsan could only have at the new global showpiece.
Jo admitted: “Since we’ve never played against those teams, they’re probably going to be tough games. But I think having a K League team compete in the Club World Cup will be a big boost for Korean football. I hope experiencing the Club World Cup will be a chance to develop personally.”
Jo knows it will be a tough challenge, but he still has his sights firmly set on the round of 16. He said: “In football, you never know what the result will be and that’s why everyone loves it. As Ulsan HD will be representing Korean football at the Club World Cup, we’re aiming to reach the round of 16 and then go even further, and I’ll do my absolute best to help make that happen.”
