Tuesday 17 April saw the final Sec. of the group stage in the AFC Champions League 2018 (ACL). Kashima Antlers in Group H, who had already secured a spot in the round of 16, incurred their first loss in group league action as they dropped the home game against Suwon Samsung Bluewings (Korea Republic) 1-0. Cerezo Osaka in Group G lost their away game against Guangzhou Evergrande (China PR) 3-1. As a result Kashima will now move onto the knockout stage as the runner-up from their group, while C Osaka are eliminated from the competition.

With both Kawasaki Frontale and Kashiwa Reysol already being knocked out, Kashima is now the only Japanese team advancing to the next round.

Following the results of last Sec. Kashima had already secured their spot into the round of 16 for the second straight year, seventh total, they faced an opportunity to top the league with a tie or better against Suwon. With injuries and league fixtures in mind, Kashima’s starting line-up saw six changes from their encounter against Nagoya on Saturday 14 April. Forward YAMAGUCHI Kazuma, who made his J. League debut in their match against Nagoya, defender MISAO Yuto and midfielder KANAMORI Takeshi, both of whom had limited play time on the pitch were given the start.

Although Kashima kept possession of the ball, the team struggled to coordinate with each other and initiate attacks. In the 31st minute, they gave away a free kick from a careless foul.

Suwon’s Brazilian forward Waguininho sent a grounder towards the goal from this free kick. Forward Dejan Damjanovic ran in from the other side to redirect the ball into the net, scoring his fifth goal of the championship.

Seeking for their chance to get back into the match, midfielders Kanamori and NAKAMURA Atsutaka stationed themselves upfront in the flanks alongside forwards SUZUKI Yuma and Yamaguchi. Which led to kashima having insufficient numbers in the midfield to connect the ball.

Suwon showcased a solid defence to maintain their one-goal lead. In the 55th minute, Kashima initiated a counter-attack which led to Yamaguchi’s right footed shot. In the 62nd minute, Suzuki struck a header off a cross delivered from Misao, followed by NAGAKI Ryota’s long-range shot three minutes later, but their attempts were slightly off target.

In efforts to get something going, Kashima sent out DOI Shoma, KANAZAKI Mu, and OGASAWARA Mitsuo onto the pitch. However, the team struggled to create a clear cut goal-scoring opportunity. Their last attempt came from a corner kick where defender INUKAI Tomoya headed the ball, allowing Kanazaki to take a shot, but their efforts came short to give their side the equaliser, as the match ended with a final score of 1-0.

With this result, Suwon will be making their seventh appearance in the knockout stage, first time in three years. As Group H leader, they will meet the runner-up of Group F, Ulsan Hyundai (Korea Republic).

Meanwhile, Kashima will face the Group F leader, Shanghai SIPG (China PR). They will play a home game on Wednesday 9 May, and an away match on Wednesday 16 May.

C Osaka knocked out after conceding three goals

On the verge of making their third appearance in the round of 16 for the first time in four years, C Osaka rotated 10 players from their J. League match against FC Tokyo held on Saturday 14 April. With just two-days to rest, the team travelled without their forward KAKITANI Yoichiro and midfielder YAMAGUCHI Hotaru, electing to utilise their young players in this match.

Group leader Guangzhou Evergrande were in position to advance to the round of 16 with a tie or better. However, the team lined-up their main players except for midfielder Zhi Zheng who was suspended. Their line-up featured players like Ricardo Goulart, a former Brazil National Team member, and Nemanja Gudelj who plays for the Serbia National Team. In the sixth minute, China PR National Team striker Bowen Huang scored the opening goal.

C Osaka managed to level the match just four minutes later, when midfielder FUKUMITSU Takaki scored the equaliser. However, Guangzhou retook the lead in the second half, as their Brazilian striker, Alan scored off a corner kick in the 57th minute. Alan would go onto score another goal in the 86th minute to stretch their lead. Guangzhou went onto win the match with the final score of 3-1, advancing to the next round as group leader.

Buriram United (Thailand) won their match against Jeju United (Korea Republic) 1-0, finishing in second place with nine points, while C Osaka dropped to third place and were knocked out of the championship.

In the round of 16, Guangzhou will meet the runner-up of Group E, while Buriram will face the leader of Group E. The two teams will face either Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Korea Republic) or Tianjin Quanjian (China PR), as day two of the final Sec. of the group stage will determine the fixtures.

The second day of the final Sec. of the group stage is scheduled on Wednesday 18 April. Kawasaki F in Group F will meet Ulsan Hyundai at home, while Kashiwa Reysol in Group E will play an away game against Tianjin Quanjian (China PR).

Coaches' and Players' Comments

OIWA Go, Coach (Kashima Antlers)
It was an extremely frustrating 90 minutes. We struggled to perform the way we intended. We conceded a goal from a set piece and didn’t have enough strength to fight back. Our opponents showcased a solid defence, preventing us from getting through. Despite creating many opportunities, including set pieces, we couldn’t convert our chances. It was certainly regretful but through these competitions players shall gain experience and improve as a player. We’ll learn from this experience, acknowledge how to win matches and move forward. I hope we can create opportunities where we can display our aggressiveness in future matches.

DF SHOJI Gen (Kashima Antlers)
I wanted to win the group. We will face stronger teams as we advance to higher stages. Shanghai SIPG features many super stars, but it doesn’t matter. Historically, Kashima has been losing in the first round of the knockout stage, so this year we want to do better. It will require a total team effort.

FW YAMAGUCHI Kazuma (Kashima Antlers)
There were parts of the game we managed to do well, and parts that we couldn’t. (Regarding the shot taken on the 55th minute) I had to score that opportunity. We had to create more chances as a team as well. Facing foreign teams, our task was to determine how we can cope with high pressures that we don’t see in our domestic leagues. We still have long ways to go, so I will prepare myself to score in our next match.

Jeong-won Seo, Coach (Suwon Samsung Bluewings)
With our team in a must win situation, I think that helped us perform well today. We knew Kashima was going to position their wingers in a high position, so we anticipated to counter them once we force a turnover on the flank. We have many good free kick takers, so I was very confident in our set plays. I think the fact that our team has not lost a match in Japan since I became their coach, helped my players psychologically. Our next match against Ulsan Hyundai will be a tough match as both teams know each other well, but we will do our best to advance to the quarterfinal.

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

Tournament Information