A solitary first-half goal from Daniel Svensson was enough for Borussia Dortmund to claim a hard-fought 1-0 victory over a resilient Ulsan HD FC in their final FIFA Club World Cup Group F encounter on Wednesday. The win ensures the German side advances to the knockout stages as group winners.
The match, played at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, saw Dortmund dominate possession from the outset, creating a flurry of early chances. Despite their control, the Bundesliga outfit was repeatedly denied by a combination of profligate finishing and inspired goalkeeping from Ulsan's Jo Hyeon-woo.
The breakthrough finally came in the 36th minute. A well-worked move saw the ball find its way to Daniel Svensson, who made no mistake from close range, slotting the ball past the impressive Jo to give Dortmund a deserved lead.
Ulsan, who were already eliminated from the tournament heading into the match, refused to be overrun and defended resolutely throughout the contest. They showed glimpses of their attacking threat on the counter but were unable to find a way past the organized Dortmund defense.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Dortmund controlling the tempo but failing to add to their lead. A combination of dogged defending from the K-League side and a lack of clinical finishing from the Germans kept the scoreline at 1-0.
Despite the narrow margin of victory, the result was enough for Borussia Dortmund to finish atop Group F. They will now await the runners-up from another group in the quarter-finals of the prestigious tournament. For Ulsan HD FC, their inaugural FIFA Club World Cup campaign ends without a point, but they will take heart from a spirited performance against one of Europe's elite clubs.
