The eastern quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League (ACL) 2020 took place at Doha, Qatar on Thursday 10 December. The match between Vissel Kobe and Suwon Samsung Bluewings (Korea Republic) entered penalty shootouts after the match was tied 1-1 in overtime, where Kobe claimed a 7-6 victory. Kobe will now face Ulsan Hyundai (Korea Republic) at the semi-final on Sunday 13 December.

The two sides have faced each other twice at the group stage, as they shared a win apiece. In their third encounter with the Korean powerhouse, Kobe made one change to their starting line-up since the round of 16, where they won 2-0 over Shanghai SIPG (China PR). Andres INIESTA was left on the bench after suffering a knock in the match played three days ago, giving YASUI Takuya the start in the midfield. Suwon also made just one change to their starting line-up since their come from behind victory over Yokohama F. Marinos.

Suwon, who won last season’s Korean FA Cup to claim their 10th ACL appearance, started the match by controlling the ball possession. With PARK Sang-Hyeok scoring the opening goal in the seventh minute, the Korean side took full control over the match, as they showed swift transition between offence and defence, and aggressively made attempts to threaten the Kobe goal.

Kobe struggled to find ways to effectively carry the ball upfront against the Suwon defence, but a major turning point arrived in the 36th minute. NISHI Daigo, who has been given a more advanced role at this tournament, responded to a through ball delivered by DOUGLAS to enter the penalty area and drew a foul. Although the play was once called as a PK, VAR overturned the play as a FK just outside the box and gave KIM Tae-Hwan a red-card for committing the foul. With FURUHASHI Kyogo converting this FK directly from the spot, Kobe managed to equalise the match within the first half.

With momentum and numerical advantage on their side, Kobe started to create more chances in the second half. In the 73rd minute, YAMAGUCHI Hotaru responded to a ball delivered by GOKE Yuta to strike a shot from distance, while Douglas connected with a cross to threaten the Suwon goal in the 74th minute. Douglas struck another header in the 85th minute, connecting with a left cross, but his shot deflected off Furuhashi, who was making a run towards the goal.


Playing with a man down, Suwon dropped deep in their territory to anticipate for their chance to counter. An opportunity arrived just before the end of the second half, as KIM Gun-Hee carried the ball inside the Kobe penalty area and struck a shot from close range, but Kobe’s GK MAEKAWA Daiya made a spectacular save to send the match into overtime.

Kobe continued to dominate the ball possession in overtime, collecting the ball to Furuhashi and Douglas to create chances upfront. The two attackers combined with each other in the 96th minute to threaten the Suwon goal, but Douglas’s shot was blocked by the opposing defender. Another close opportunity was created in the second half of overtime, but the shot taken by Furuhashi fell short from breaking the deadlock.

With both sides showing signs of fatigue, Kobe sent Iniesta onto the pitch in the 113th minute. However, it was the Korean side who created the next big chance. In the 116th minute, Kim Gun-Hee penetrated the left side before taking a shot. After Maekawa blocked the shot, KIM Min-Woo responded to the loose ball and struck a shot, this time forcing Yamaguchi to block the shot, which then was followed up by KO Seung-Beom, who fired a right footed shot, but his shot went off the post, coming within inches from taking the lead.

After both sides failing to score the decisive goal, the match entered penalties to determine the winner. Iniesta stepped up as the first kicker for Kobe, and after seeing all six takers from both sides successfully converting the spot kick, Suwon’s seventh taker missed his shot, giving Kobe the opportunity to close out the match. With Kobe’s seventh kicker, FUJIMOTO Noriaki slotting the ball into the right side, Kobe clinched their way into the semi-finals.

With Kobe reaching the semi-finals in their first ACL appearance, they became only the third club from Japan to reach the ACL semi-finals in their first try, following Urawa Red Diamonds (2007) and Nagoya Grampus (2009). Fujimoto, who took the final spot kick, mentioned, “I was able to keep my calm and take the shot as usual.” The Japanese striker continued by commenting, “Leading to this match, I have not been able to contribute for the team, so I really wanted to help the team win this match.”

At the press-conference held after the match, Kobe’s coach MIURA Atsuhiro expressed his respect and gratitude towards Suwon and the referee crew, “Despite playing with a man down, Suwon showcased tremendous efforts in defence, and we had to give everything we’ve got against them. This was a spectacular match for both sides.”

When asked about his decision to bring in Iniesta at the end of overtime, the coach explained, “His presence gives our team a positive vibe, and applies pressure to Suwon. By brining him onto the pitch, our players were able to play with more confidence.” He also mentioned, “He set the tone of the penalties by taking the first spot kick.”

Regarding the fact that the match was decided on penalties, coach Miura praised their opponent, “Despite creating many opportunities, Suwon showed great focus and hard-work to deny our chances.” The coach also shared his aspiration ahead of the next round, “It is very hard to score goals, even when facing 10 men. I am sure that our offence will find ways to produce results in our next match.”

Kobe will now face last season’s K League champion, Ulsan Hyundai. The Korean side has defeated Beijing Sinobo Guoan (China PR) 2-0 at the quarterfinals, thanks to the brace of NEGRAO. The semi-final match between the two sides will take place at Al-Janoub Stadium on Sunday 13 December.

Tournament Information