Three Japanese football clubs of four, Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Kawasaki Frontale and Cerezo Osaka participating in the AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2014, advanced to its knock-out stage. It is the first time in these two years for Japan’s soccer community that three clubs belonging to J. League survived the first round. All three clubs secured a place in the final round as its group’s runner-up and will face each group’s winner on the first game in the Round of 16 at home, trying to gain an advantage with winning points there prior to the second game at away next week.

Cerezo Osaka challenges the Asian Champion

Cerezo Osaka’s opponent on 6th is the defending champion, GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE (CHN). The team led by the head coach, MARCELLO LIPPI who was the former head coach of the Italian national soccer team, hasn’t performed well with one defeat and three draws at away games in this ACL. It managed to secure a spot in the knock-out stage with its 2-1 victory over the Yokohama F・Marinos at the home and final game of the first stage. Japan, though, must not underestimate its power as the team occupies leading position with seven consecutive victories in Chinese league.
FW ELKESON is keeping his good condition as showed his two goals in the game against Yokohama F・Marinos as well as nine goals including a hat trick in the China’s league. Besides, there are other remarkable players such as FW Muriqui who was the last ACL’S top scorer and made much contribution to the team’s first Asian title, as well as FW DIAMANTI who joined the team this season.
C. Osaka advanced to the final rounds for the first time in 11th years following its come-and-behind victory with 2-1 over the Shandong Luneng Taishan Football Club at the away and final game of the group stage. The team and mainly its young players such as FW Kakitani Yoichiro, FW Diego Forlan and MF Yamaguchi Hotaru are expected to show their persisted play and offensive punch at home as they did at the last away game.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima is against the tough opponent

Sanfrecce Hiroshima will meet Western Sydney Wonderers (Australia) on 7th. Western Sydney, for the first time, earned a berth in the finals from group H. It finished with four wins and two losses and the same number of points with the Kawasaki, but was ahead on goal differences against the team. The Australian team makes it to the knock-out stage for three consecutive years following this.
MF Ono Shinji, the former Japan’s national team player, adds effective accent to its offense. The team finished in second place its regular season of the domestic league ended in May 4th, losing with 1-2 over the Brisbane Roar, the winner of the season, in overtime of the play-off final. The attention would be focused on whether the team can keep its good condition even in the tough environment such as the game with a short interval of 2days from its last one or also long-distance travel after the tough game in the play-off.
Hiroshima finally reached the final round of ALC for the first time on its third try. Good-form players including DF Shiotani Tsukasa, MF Aoyama Toshihiro and FW Ishiahra Naoki started on the bench in the J. leagues’ game on 3rd for the finals of ACL. The team also has good news that MF Mikic and FW Ishihara Naoki has recovered from their injuries.

Kawasaki faces the vice-defending-championship team

One more match is scheduled for Kawasaki Frontale and FC Seoul (ROK), the second place team of the last ACL on 7th. The team, led by the head coach CHOI Yong-Soo who once played in the J. league, passed through the group C as the winner but performed badly in the domestic league, as ranked the eleventh of twelve teams. It lost the league’s match on 3rd, missing the chance for its first successive victory in this season. Six goals in eleven games ranked 12nd in the league, however, the team, mainly Rafael Costa, MF Yun Il Lok and others scored 9 goals in six matches of ACL, showing its improving condition. The former Urawa Reds player, FW Sergio Escudero should be cared closely.
Kawasaki has improved its form step by step as the group league went on, making it to the knock-out stage for the first time since the tournament in 2009 when the team advanced to quarterfinals. It is expected to gain the victory, overwhelming the opponent with its skillful speedy ball-handling among players such as especially MF Nakamura Kengo, FW Kobayashi Yu and FW Okubo Yoshito who has kept good conditions in this season.

Let’s be excited about the coming performance by three J. league’s clubs.

Schedule

6 May 2014  19:00 Kick Off　Osaka Nagai Stadium
Cerezo Osaka　-　GUANGZHOU EVERGRANDE

7 May 2014  19:00 Kich Off　Hiroshima  Big Arch
Sanfrecce Hiroshima　-　Western Sydney Wonderers 

7 May 2014  19:00 Kich Off　Todoroki Athletics Stadium
Kawasaki Frontale　-　 FC Seoul