Krishna Sadhana
Football Tribe SEA Editor
The play-off rounds to determine the last few teams qualifying to the 2020 AFC Champions League group stages were played last night, and two of J.League 1’s representatives, Kashima Antlers and FC Tokyo, got two contrasting results at home. As Japan was being bombarded with torrential rain yesterday, FC Tokyo struggled past 2019 Philippine Football League champion Ceres-Negros, eventually eking out a 2-0 win. Kashima, on the other hand, crashed out of the ACL after losing 1-0 to 2018-19 A-League regular season third placers Melbourne Victory.
Qualifying to the ACL play-offs as runners-up of the 2019 J1 season, FC Tokyo took on Ceres-Negros at a waterlogged Ajinomoto Stadium. Ceres, who edged past 2019 Myanmar National League champions Shan United and 2019 Thai FA Cup winners Port FC en route to the play-offs, managed to keep up with Kenta Hasegawa’s Gasmen despite being the underdogs, partly because of the poor state of the pitch that prevented FC Tokyo from exploring their usual style of play. Ceres goalie Roland Muller pulled off a number of brilliant saves to keep the Filipinos in the game, while the absences of key trio Stephan Schrock, Mike Ott, and Sean Kane barely affected the Busmen’s brave fighting spirit at all, with overwhelming favorites FC Tokyo being kept at bay throughout the first half. The first half itself ended goalless.
It was during the second half that FC Tokyo showed their class and quality. Sei Muroya finally broke the Busmen’s resistance in the 48th minute, with the rain ironically aiding indirectly in the opener. Muller had actually got a hand on Muroya’s shot, but the slippery ball made its way into the net anyway. Despite taking the lead, FC Tokyo found themselves a man down on the 79th minute after Taichi Hara was sent off by the referee following an elbow on Takashi Odawara. This allowed Ceres to push forward for that all-important equalizer, with Filipino international James Younghusband being introduced to sharpen the Busmen’s attack. However, FC Tokyo once again showed why they are steps above their ASEAN counterparts as they caught Ceres on the counter, with Adailton, a new signing from recently relegated Jubilo Iwata, opening his FC Tokyo account with the vital second goal that killed off the tie in the 89th minute. The match ended 2-0 for FC Tokyo, who will join Group F of the ACL group stages alongside 2019 K.League 1 runners-up Ulsan Hyundai, 2019 Chinese FA Cup champions Shanghai Greenland Shenhua, and 2018-19 A-League regular season premiers Perth Glory. Ceres, on the other hand, will drop down to Group G of the 2020 AFC Cup, joining 2019 Liga 1 Indonesia champions Bali United, 2019 V.League 1 third-placers Than Quang Ninh, and the play-off winner between Master 7 (Laos) and Preah Khan Reach Svay Rieng (Cambodia).
Meanwhile, at the Kashima Soccer Stadium, 2019 J1 third-placers Kashima Antlers went up against Melbourne Victory, who crushed Bali United 5-0 on their way to the play-offs. Both teams were in a state of transition – this was Victory’s fourth match underneath new head coach Carlos Salvachua, with that 5-0 thrashing of Bali sandwiching two defeats in the 2019-20 A-League regular season at the hands of arch-rivals Adelaide United and Sydney FC. Kashima, on the other hand, underwent a number of changes as well after the 2019 J1 season. The 2018 champions of Asia are no longer underneath the stewardship of Go Oiwa, who stepped down from his position following Kashima’s defeat at the hands of Vissel Kobe in the 2019 Emperor’s Cup final. Former Shakhtar Donetsk assistant coach and Red Bull Bragantino head coach Antonio Carlos Zago is the man in charge of the Antlers this season and the match against Victory was Zago’s debut as Kashima head coach. Kashima are also without Serginho, with the Brazilian attacker joining Chinese League One side Changchun Yatai in the off-season. Stepping into Serginho’s boots was fellow Brazilian Everaldo, who was signed from Mexican Liga MX side Queretaro FC. Everaldo started the match against the Big V, alongside 5 other new signings – Rikuto Hirose, Tatsuki Nara, Katsuya Nagato, Ryuji Izumi, and Juan Alano.
The first half was quite balanced, with Kashima carving out a number of chances despite the limited preparation time and plethora of new signings meant that they were unable to gel themselves as a unit on time. Lawrence Thomas in the Victory goal was forced to make a number of saves from the likes of Everaldo and Izumi, while the familiar face of Leo Silva also presented himself as a threat for the Victory defense. However, Thomas’ heroics between the sticks meant that the Big V are still in the game, as the first half ended goalless.
Victory came out from the dressing rooms aggressively in the second half, going straight for the offensive that forced Kashima goalie Kwon Sun-tae to a number of saves. Spearheaded by former Urawa Red Diamonds forward Andrew Nabbout, Victory struck Kashima’s defenses repeatedly, until it cracked in the 54th minute. Nabbout once again tried his chances by firing off a shot, which deflected off Nara and went straight into Kwon’s net. 1-0 Victory and the traveling Australian supporters are sent ecstatic by that goal.
Stung by that opener, Kashima piled on the pressure to search for that equalizer, however, Thomas proved himself to be Victory’s hero as he managed to foil Kashima’s efforts time and time again. Kashima also had themselves to blame as their attackers’ profligacy had prevented them from not only taking the lead during the first half, but also equalizing during the second. In the end, Salvachua’s men held on for a historic 1-0 win, Victory’s first-ever away win in the ACL while at the same time condemning Kashima as the first-ever J1 side to crash out of the ACL playoff stage since its introduction.
Victory will now join Group E of the ACL group stages, alongside 2019 Chinese Super League runners-up Beijing Sinobo Guoan, 2019 Thai League 1 champions Singha Chiangrai United, and 2019 K.League 1 third-placers FC Seoul, who qualified to the group stages after defeating 2019 Malaysian FA Cup winners Kedah FA 4-1 in the play-offs.
2019 J1 champions Yokohama F. Marinos are in Group H of the ACL, facing off against 2019-20 A-League Grand Final winners Sydney FC, 2019 K.League 1 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, and 2019 Chinese Super League third-placers Shanghai SIPG, who defeated 2019 Thai League 1 runners-up Buriram United 3-0 in the play-offs to seal their group stage spot. 2019 Emperor’s Cup winners Vissel Kobe, on the other hand, are in Group G, alongside 2019 Korean FA Cup winners Suwon Samsung Bluewings, 2019 Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, and 2019 Liga Super Malaysia champions Johor Darul Ta’zim.
