Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tokyo: Japan’s FC Tokyo and China’s Jiangsu FC played out a 0-0 draw at Tokyo Stadium on Tuesday to leave Group E of the AFC Champions League finely poised at the halfway stage.
The result moved unbeaten Jiangsu onto five points, although the Chinese Super League side dropped into second place, a point behind Korea Republic’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors who beat Vietnam’s Becamex Binh Duong 2-0 earlier.
Tokyo, meanwhile, sit third on four points after three matches having beaten Binh Duong 3-1 at home two weeks ago.
“Defense-wise, our players kept their concentration and had our collective defense more or less for 90 minutes. That is why I wanted to have three points,” said FC Tokyo coach Hiroshi Jofuku.
“We created chances closer to the end of the game. We have to accept the fact that we couldn’t score a goal. However, we rarely gave our opponents away a chance to make a shooting attempt in the second half.
“This is a product again of what we had learned from our opening match in the J. League. We had a similar success in our recent J. League match, too. We should make much of this fact and work on scoring more for our coming matches.”
The first half chance of the game came Tokyo’s way in the 12th minute, but Ryoichi Maeda could not divert his shot on target from just inside the penalty area after Nathan Burns’ cut-back from the left.
The home side broke through down the same side again four minutes later and left back Ryoya Ogawa fizzed a tantalising ball across the face of the goal, although no Tokyo forward had anticipated the delivery and it was deflected behind for a corner.
The hosts continued to look the more dangerous going forwards, and Burns was again the provider in the 24th minute after breaking into the right hand side of the penalty area with some nice footwork.
And the Australia international laid the ball square for the onrushing Naotake Hanyu, but the former Japan international saw his flicked attempt blocked and then hacked to safety.
Jiangsu’s first sight on goal came in the 26th minute as the ball broke to Jo on the edge of the penalty area, but the former Brazil international snatched at his shot and dragged it just wide of Yota Akimoto’s left hand post.
Burns was again involved in the 42nd minute, shifting the ball into space 25 yards from goal and trying his luck, although the effort was straight at Jiangsu goalkeeper Zhang Sipeng, who dealt with it comfortably enough.
Jiangsu came out with a little more intent in the second half and began to force the hosts back as they broke quickly through the lively Alex Teixeira.
Brazilian Teixeira then thought he had given the visitors the lead in the 69thminute, but his effort was ruled out after a foul in the build-up.
Tokyo continued to press forwards, too, but the closest they came was a rifled effort from long-range by substitute Takuji Yonemoto in the 84th minute.
That attempt was fielded well by goalkeeper Zhang, leaving the sides to settle for a point apiece ahead of their next meeting in a fortnight.
“It was a very difficult match for us. In the end of the game we are happy to get a point,” said Jiangsu coach Dan Petrescu.
“It is not easy to come to Tokyo and get a point. Now it’s gone. Next match, of course, we have to play to win because we have to play on.
“Today was very good and I am happy about my players. With a little bit of luck, maybe with one penalty, one goal we scored. But in the end of the day, I think 0-0 is a normal result.”
Photo: Lagardère Sports