The fourth Sec. of the AFC Champions League 2018 (ACL) took place on Wednesday 14 March. In group G, Cerezo Osaka tied against Buriram United (Thailand) 2-2, while in group E, Kashiwa Reysol lost an away match against Kitchee (Hong Kong), who was in last place of their league. The loss marks Kashiwa’s second loss in group stage, putting them in a tough position to advance to the next stage.

C Osaka comes from behind twice but settles with a draw

Cerezo Osaka lost against Buriram in the previous Sec. 0-2 in Thailand. But their opportunity to earn back those three points came rather quickly, this time at their home. However, they were put in a tough spot after conceding the lead twice from set-plays, which the Osaka side were fully aware of.

With midfielder KIYOTAKE Hiroshi and forward KAKITANI Yoichiro out with injuries, Cerezo started forwards SUGIMOTO Kenyu and Yang Dong Hyun upfront, while midfielders TAKAGI Toshiyuki and MIZUNUMA Kota were given the start in both flanks. They applied pressure aggressively from the front line, showing their eagerness to take the initiative.

However, in the 11th minute, Cerezo gave up an own goal from the visiting side’s corner kick, which led them to lose the momentum they had built-up until that moment. They continued to seek for opportunities as midfielder Souza delivered passes to Sugimoto and Yang who found spaces behind the opposing defence line, but their attempts were denied by the Thailand side’s defenders and goalkeeper.

Cerezo’s best chance in the first half came in the 42nd minute when midfielder YAMAGUCHI Hotaru picked out Takagi, who delivered a cross. Sugimoto was able to connect with the cross with a header, but his shot was slightly off target.

After scoring the opening goal, Buriram dropped back playing five defenders. In offence, they did not take much risks, but still sought for opportunities. In the 37th minute, midfielder Korrakot penetrated the left flank before sending a cross to midfielder Ratthanakorn Maikami, who took a shot which was saved by Osaka’s goalkeeper Kim Jin Hyeon.

Cerezo would regain their momentum after halftime, getting close to scoring the equalizer. In the 63rd minute, defender Matej Jonjic fired a shot off a free kick delivered by fellow defender MARUHASHI Yusuke, but the shot was off target. Just two minutes later, Maruhashi created another opportunity with his cross after running up the left flank. This time Yang was able to score with his header to level the match at one apiece.

However, Buriram retook the lead in the 71st minute, when they gained a corner kick in the left side. Forward Edgar was able to flick the ball with his head from the near post which found forward Diogo, who headed the ball into the net.

Seeking to equalise the match once again, Mizunuma attempted a shot from the right side in the 74th minute, while Souza tried a shot off of a free kick in the 84th minute, but both attempts came short of scoring.

In efforts to level the match, Cerezo sent in midfielder YAMAMURA Kazuya in the 85th minute, followed by the 18year old forward ANDO Mizuki in the 88th minute. The equaliser came moments after they made the substitutes, as Sugimoto headed in Yamaguchi’s cross from the right side. But they would come short of taking the lead, as the game ended 2-2.

As a result, with a win, two draws and a loss, Cerezo Osaka now has five points. Buriram is also left with five points but ranks higher due to the result of their head-to-head competition. Third place Cerezo would now have to earn more points than Buriram in order to advance through the group stage.

After the match Sugimoto mentioned, “we had plenty of chances. If I had scored two or three goals we would have won, so I’m very disappointed. We will win the remaining two matches and advance to the next round.”

Guangzhou Evergrande (China PR) still leads the group after beating Jeju United (Korea Republic) 2-0, extending their lead with eight points. Cerezo will now face the last place Jeju who has three points.

First half ejection puts Kashiwa in tough spot

After defeating Kitchee 1-0 at home last week, they were seeking for consecutive wins, this time away from home to close the gap between the top two teams. However, their plans were in shambles early in the match.

Defender KAMEKAWA Masashi was ejected in the 15th minute after he took down an opposing player. Playing a man down, Kashiwa would be forced to substitute one of their forward YAMAZAKI Ryohei out for defender KOIKE Ryuta in the 19th minute.

The first half would end scoreless as Kashiwa successfully held off former Uruguayan National Team striker Diego Forlan and forward Alex from scoring. During the second half, they would go onto sending forwards ITO Junya and Cristiano off the bench.

Both teams struggled to create major threats in the second half and the match seemed to end in a scoreless tie as the game went into additional time. However, Kitchee’s forward Cheng Chin Lung, who came into the match in the closing minutes scored his side’s first goal of the competition to scoop up the win, handing over a shocking loss to Kashiwa.

Still in third place in their group, Kashiwa now has four points with a win, a draw, and two loses. With nine points, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Korea Republic) remains in first place even after they incurred their first loss of the competition against the second place Tianjin Quanjian (China PR) 2-4, who now has seven points. Last place Kitchee now has three points.

The fifth Sec. will be held on Tuesday 3 April and Wednesday 4 April.

Coaches' and Players' Comments

Jong-Hwan Yoon, Coach (Cerezo Osaka)
We had a good understanding of what our opponent’s strengths were, and the game itself was not so bad. However, we were put in a tough spot after we allowed them to utilise their strengths and score off similar situations. Our players fought hard until the end to equalise the game, so we’ll take that as a positive. We are playing good football, so we have to stay patient. I think it only takes one good result for us to get into a good rhythm. The season has just begun, and we still have a good chance to advance through the ACL. Our next match is at home, so we’ll prepare ourselves well to make sure we get the win.

MF YAMAGUCHI Hotaru (Cerezo Osaka)
There were stretches where we dominated the game, and we played well overall. We gave up just two chances the entire game, but they scored in both occasions, so it’s very disappointing. There were many positives also, and the season has just begun, so we’ll keep our heads up. We will talk it out as a team and move forward.

FW SUGIMOTO Kenyu (Cerezo Osaka)
It was a must win game for us, but we allowed an early goal off a set-play. Even though we managed to come from behind to tie the game, it’s a disappointing result. We knew we had to be cautious facing their set-plays, but we still conceded, so we weren’t cautious enough. It’s a good thing we came back from being down 2-1, but if I had scored two or three goals, we would have won, so I am disappointed.

Bozidar Bandovic, Coach (Buriram United)
We had to earn three points in this match, but Cerezo Osaka took the initiative by applying strong pressure. We did a good job defending but lacked quality in offence. It’s a good thing that we got a point, and we still have two more matches. I still believe we can get through the group stage.

Tournament Period：30 January 2018 (Tue.) ～ 10 November 2018 (Sat.)

Tournament Information