Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Seoul: Takashi Usami scored twice as former winners Gamba Osaka from Japan took a huge step towards the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League after recording a 3-1 win over Korea Republic’s FC Seoul in Wednesday’s last 16 first leg.
Usami broke the deadlock for the Japanese champions just after the hour mark at Seoul World Cup Stadium with the hosts looking comfortable before Koki Yonekura added a second for the visitors.
The impressive Usami later added a third, and despite Yun Ju-tae netting late for 2013 finalists FC Seoul, 2008 winners Gamba will look to make full use of home advantage in next week’s second leg to secure a return to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2011.
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Group F winners Gamba had settled quickly into the contest and were soon keeping the lion's share of possession, but without creating any clear-cut chances.
FC Seoul, meanwhile, had a little more penetration going forward and created the best chance of the first half as Cha Du-ri galloped down the right and pulled the ball back to just outside the penalty area for the advancing Koh Myong-jin only for the midfielder to pull his shot wide of Masaaki Higashiguchi’s post.
FC Seoul’s Park Yong-woo was involved in the first two chance of the second half after firing wide ten minutes after the restart before seeing his dangerous cross into the area missed by his team-mates.
The home side looked to be in control and in little danger of conceding, but two minutes after the hour mark Hiroki Fujiharu’s cross into a crowded penalty area was volleyed home spectacularly by Usami into the top right corner that gave the FC Seoul goalkeeper no chance.
And ten minutes later, with FC Seoul pushing forward in search of an equaliser, Gamba added a second as Shu Kurata released Fujiharu and another cross from the full-back was floated over to the far post where Yonekura was on hand to send home a low volley past Yu Sang-hun’s despairing dive.
Gamba were not finished and with five minutes remaining Usami picked up the ball inside the FC Seoul half, and after advancing to the edge of the area and despite the attentions of two defenders, fired home a low shot into the bottom corner.
FC Seoul, though, gave themselves a glimmer of hope ahead of the second leg as Yun reduced the deficit for the home side in stoppage time following good work from Kim Hyun-sung.
Photo: WSG