The second day of the sixth and final week of the group stage in the AFC Champions League (ACL) was held on 4 May. F.C. Tokyo won an away game against Becamex Binh Duong (Vietnam) 2-1. Finishing in second place in Group E, they have qualified for the knockout stage for the second time since 2012.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who had already failed to qualify for the next stage after finishing in third place in Group F, beat the group leaders, FC Seoul (Korea Republic). The team earned a victory in the final game with a score of 2-1.

If they won, Tokyo would book a place in the next stage. Despite the heat, MAEDA Ryoichi, the former Japan National team forward, was in the starting line-up for the first time in three games and showed off his abilities with two goals.

From the beginning of the game, Maeda as well as the midfielders HIGASHI Keigo and MIZUNUMA Kota aggressively fired in shots, taking the initiative in attack. After 21 minutes, the midfielder HASHIMOTO Kento, who received a through pass from Mizunuma, sent a cross from the right side. Maeda reacted to it, heading home the opener. In the 55th minute, Maeda intercepted the ball from the opponent’s defender and dribbled up to score his second goal with a long-distance shot.

Although Becamex Binh Duong had already failed to qualify for the next stage, they performed aggressively at home. After 67 minutes, the forward Christian Jose Nsi Amougou, who came off the bench in the second half, earned a penalty kick. The forward Le Cong Vinh, the former Consadole Sapporo player, scored from the spot one minute later, closing the gap to one goal.

Tokyo sent the midfielder TANABE Sotan to the field in the 63rd minute, and the forward ABE Takuma in the 75th minute. Then two minutes later, Abe, who got through the space behind the opponent’s defenders to react to a pass from Tanabe, went close to the goal with his shot. Despite the fact they could not stretch their lead, they did not let the opponent score either. Tokyo won the match 2-1.

As a result, Tokyo earned 10 points in total, raising their rank in the group from third to second place. Although Tokyo have the same points as Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Korea Republic), who drew with Jiangsu FC (China PR) 2-2, the team are in second place because they lost to Jeonbuk.

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In the round of 16, Tokyo will meet Shanghai SIPG (China PR), who topped Group G. The home game will be on 17 May, and the away match on 24 May.

Hiroshima finished with a victory

Hiroshima’s loss in the previous round meant the team failed to get through to the next stage. The team sent younger players on the field instead of the midfielder AOYAMA Toshihiro and the forward Peter Utaka. The forward ASANO Takuma, who had recovered from an injury to his right foot after a month, led the team in taking the initiative.

Seoul, who were topping group, also made significant changes to the team. Apart from the forward ADRIANO and the goalkeeper YOO Hyun, five young players debuted in the ACL game. They passed the ball around to build-up an attack, while defending with as a block. 

However, Seoul could not react quickly enough against Hiroshima’s swift attack, which was led by Asano. After 15 minutes, Hiroshima started to create more goal-scoring opportunities. Asano went close to the goal with a long-distance shot in the 18th minute.

Hiroshima struck the opener in the 27th minute. Asano reacted to a free kick from SHIMIZU Kohei on the left side, and found the back of the net with his right foot. After 34 minutes, Asano dribbled up from midfield, getting through the opponent’s defenders to take another shot, only for it to hit the crossbar. 

Hiroshima had found their rhythm, and increased their lead in the 39th minute. Shimizu intercepted on the left side and sent in a cross that the forward MINAGAWA Yusuke headed home. 

In the second half, Seoul sent PARK Yongwoo, the U-23 Korea Republic National player, onto the field to strengthen their defensive line. The forward YUN Jutae also came off the bench to impact the game. In the 87th minute, Yun earned a penalty kick in the penalty area. Adriano, who had struck nine goals in the past five games, scored from the spot.

After 65 minutes, both Shimizu and the midfielder TAKAHASHI Soya fired consecutive shots from a corner kick. Though MORISAKI Koji came off the bench in the 80th minute, Hiroshima could not score any more. They won the game 2-1.

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As a result, Hiroshima got nine points from three wins and three losses, while Seoul had thirteen points from four wins, one loss, and one draw. Shandong Luneng FC (China PR), who tied with Buriram United (Thailand) 0-0, got three wins, one loss, and two draws with 11 points, and finished in second place. Although Buriram finally earned their first victory, they finished with five losses and one draw.

Coach and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Coach (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
Though we failed to qualify for the next stage, I told the players that we’d display each individual’s skill as well as our strengths as a team. They fought for pride by playing hard and tenaciously showing our team ideal. It was my third attempt in this championship, and I was quite confident. I expected that we would perform well as a team in this championship, but losing the first home game impacted us a lot. I should have given instructions more clearly when substituting players after striking the opener in our first match. We also need to improve how we defend when the opponent throws everything into attack. Having said that, I’d like to point out that the players kept in good condition so that they could play tough despite a tight schedule. 

FW  ASANO Takuma (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
Although we already had our result in this championship, I was determined to score a goal to win the game. I’m glad I could achieve that. When I struck a goal, I shared the same strategy with Shimizu. I stayed competitive in defence and 1-on-1. We could have won more matches to get through to the next stage, if we had scored with our opportunities. So I’d like to improve the quality of our performances.

FW  MINAGAWA Yusuke (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
I cooperated well with Shimizu when I scored. I felt really frustrated though, as I couldn’t score from our opportunities. As there is still room to improve – to play more calmly in front of the goal or to have a wider view, I’d like to practice hard.

CHOI Yong Soo, Coach (FC Seoul)
I fielded a significantly different set of players compared to usual in today’s game. As the players put in a hard performance, I could see our achievements as well as the areas for improvement. The next opponent, Urawa, is a strong team, and the coming match is vital. So we’d like to prepare ourselves with a 180-minute strategy.

AFC Champions League 2016

27 January 2016 - 26 November 2016

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