With the stakes high, the spotlight shines brightly as both sets of players aim to make an impact and send their team through to face either the United Arab Emirates’ Al Ain FC or Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal SFC for the ultimate prize in Asian club football.

Seol Young-woo – Ulsan Hyundai

The scorer of the goal that sent Ulsan through to the semi-finals for the third time in four seasons, Seol Young-woo missed his side’s opening two matches in the competition but has played every minute since, also finding the back of the net against Ventforet Kofu in the Round of 16.

A full-back who can play on either wing, Seol is not only solid defensively but also not afraid to venture forward with his electric pace and can pick out teammates in the opposition box – qualities that have earned the 25-year-old a starting role with the Taeguek Warriors.

Having been a bit-part player in the latter stages of Ulsan’s successful 2020 campaign, Seol will be keen to lift the Asian crown for the second time in his career – this time playing a far more influential role than the first time around.

Yan Matheus – Yokohama F. Marinos

One third of the Brazilian attacking trio that makes Yokohama a much-feared outfit in their homeland and across the continent, Yan Matheus can spell trouble to the Ulsan defence with his pace, trickery, venomous deliveries into the box and a left foot that can create moments of magic.

The 25-year-old recorded two goals and three assists in the group stage under the then head coach Kevin Muscat as Yokohama progressed from a tough Group G after finishing level on points with Shandong and Incheon before he scored again in the quarter-final first leg against the Chinese side.

After being sidelined for much of March with an injury, Yan Matheus returned to action as a substitute in Yokohama’s J1 League outing against defending champions Vissel Kobe on April 7 and curled in a left-foot strike from the edge of the box to hand the visitors all three points. Head coach Harry Kewell will hope the winger makes a similar impact in the semi-finals.

Lee Dong-gyeong – Ulsan Hyundai

Lee Dong-gyeong is having a superb domestic campaign so far as he has already scored five goals and contributed a further two assists in six K League 1 appearances in his first full season back at Ulsan following loan spells with Schalke and Hansa Rostock in Germany.

It is the 26-year-old’s best goalscoring form of his career and marks him as one of the key players in Hong Myung-bo’s side for their clash against Yokohama despite having only played 24 minutes of the Horangi’s quarter-final win against Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

The set-piece specialist, who has an eye for a killer pass and can be lethal from distance, will be extra motivated to guide Ulsan through having been part of the side that lost to East Coast rivals Pohang Steelers in the 2021 semi-finals as the two-time winners missed out on back-to-back finals.

Anderson Lopes – Yokohama F. Marinos

After a stellar 2023 when he finished as joint-top scorer in the Japanese top flight with 22 goals, Anderson Lopes has carried his purple patch into the new year and the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League, where he has found the back of the net in three successive matches.

Yokohama were held 2-2 by Bangkok United in the Round of 16 first leg before the Brazilian scored the all-important penalty that sent Kewell’s side through. Lopes then proved how dangerous he can be inside the box with the ball at his feet when he scored the opener against Shandong in the quarter-final first leg.

The 30-year-old went on to seal the 3-2 aggregate win over the Chinese Super League side in the second leg, taking his tally to five goals from seven matches in the tournament – numbers that will serve as a warning for an Ulsan side looking to add to their 2012 and 2020 titles.

Jo Hyeon-woo – Ulsan Hyundai

Having impressed at the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ as Korea Republic reached the semi-finals before falling short of a place in the final, Jo Hyeon-woo will be desperate to ensure he ends up on the winning side of a last-four clash this time round.

Known for his superb shot-stopping, quick reflexes and ability in the air, Jo first stood out at the 2018 FIFA World Cup when he made a string of outstanding saves as Korea famously eliminated Germany. Back on the club scene, he was unfortunate to miss Ulsan’s 2020 AFC Champions League success before reaching the semi-finals the following year.

This season, the 32-year-old has played every minute of Ulsan’s 10 matches, making a joint tournament-high 35 saves and producing his best performance in the second leg of the quarter-finals against Jeonbuk when he proved impenetrable by denying Moon Seon-min and Tiago Orobo to ensure the Horangi continued their quest for a third continental title.

Takuya Kida – Yokohama F. Marinos

Having been a loyal servant of Yokohama since his debut in 2012 and having captained them to two J1 League titles in 2019 and 2022, Takuya Kida will be keen to turn the Japanese side’s maiden semi-final appearance into their first-ever AFC Champions League triumph.

Partnering Kota Watanabe in the centre of midfield, Kida has started every game except one for Yokohama and has accounted for a club-high 523 successful passes, while he has also won 11 of the 13 tackles he has attempted so far – the most on his side.

And those attributes are likely to be key at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium as Kida looks to thwart the home side’s attempts to gain a first-leg advantage by breaking up play, controlling the tempo and helping launch Marinos attacks by feeding the more creative players ahead of him.