Ulsan will welcome expat soccer teams from across Korea this Friday and Saturday for the Ulsan Cup.

Since the first tournament in 2008, the competition has grown from 12 to 16 teams, and this year come from 11 different parts of Korea.

“It’s quite a collection of teams and the standard is excellent. It’s a good tournament and it’s a good spectacle as well,” said James McAloon, coach of the Won Shot Wanderers, which organized the first Ulsan Cup with support from the local government and football associations.

McAloon said the better teams were around the same level as the lower-tier semi-professional teams in the U.K.

“I don’t know if it’s a coincidence but a lot of good footballers that used to play for clubs when they were younger but didn’t quite make it or used to play at a semi-professional level or so on seem to end up in Korea, so the standard is surprisingly good,” he said.

The collection of teams from across the country makes for a festive atmosphere and locals also come to watch.

“The crowds do gather and the teams bring their own supporters from where they are from,” said McAloon. “Jeonju are famous for bringing a couple of busloads of supporters with drums and things. They can get quite noisy, but obviously it’s quite an attraction for people to come down and watch that atmosphere.”

He said the surroundings added to the event, with pitches along the river and bamboo forests nearby.

“It’s a really nice setting for people to come down and watch ― except when the ball goes in the river.”

Teams compete in groups of four before the top two from each group progress to the cup’s knock-out round. The rest go on to the second tier plate tournament.

There is now also a wooden spoon tournament for teams who fail at the first knock-out hurdle.

“The idea is you are still going to get a full day’s worth of football on the second day even if you lose a game,” said McAloon.

McAloon now coaches his team, which is currently top of Ulsan League’s first division after three games. He was away for last year’s tournament, which the Wanderers won.

“It’s always been an ambition to win the tournament but obviously now having tasted victory the team wants to win it again,” he said.

The team could get help from a young player with a top football pedigree. Brede Saunders, whose parents work in Korea, is the grandson of Ron Saunders, who managed Aston Villa to the English league title in 1981.

“He’s only 16 years old but he’s a good player so he’s in the Won Shot Wanderers squad,” said McAloon.

He said the main aim for the tournament was to see the event continue as a good day out for spectators and players.

“Hopefully expat football puts on a good show and people go away having had a great weekend in Ulsan.”

The organizers will also run a Junior Ulsan Cup for the third year on June 1. The competition invites international schools from across Korea, with teams this year from Hyundai Foreign School, Okpo International School, Busan Foreign School, Daegu International School and Rising Star Football Academy, the Won Shot Wanderers own youth coaching academy.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)