Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The last four weeks have wrapped up a fantastic month in Asian club and national team football with joy and despair witnessed across the continent as the season climaxed in thrilling style.
With the AFC Champions League, the AFC Cup and international football to take a break until early 2017, join the-AFC.com as we look back on a November that will live long in the memory.
Air Force Club retain the AFC Cup
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: the-AFC.com has announced that Al Hilal’s Omar Khribin is the winner of this week’s Goal of the Week presented by Allianz for the 2017 AFC Champions League competition after a public vote amongst the fans on the AFC Champions League’s social media networks.
Below are the full list of nominees with the winner in bold:
Watch Khribin’s winner and the two other goals in the video below.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Urawa Red Diamonds were crowned Asian champions on Saturday after beating Al Hilal 1-0 in the 2017 AFC Champions League final second leg at Saitama Stadium.
Just as in the first leg, which ended 1-1, Al Hilal gave a good account of themselves, but ultimately couldn’t turn their dominance of the ball into clear chances, and were again punished by the clinical Rafael Silva.
Defensive discipline key for Reds
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: the-AFC.com has announced the nominations for this week’s Goal of the Week presented by Allianz for the 2017 AFC Champions League competition with the winner decided by public vote amongst the fans on the AFC Champions League’s social media networks.
The three selected goals from this week are as follows:
Watch the video below and place your vote at the AFC Champions League’s official Facebook or Twitter accounts and the winner will be announced on Monday, 27 November.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Captain Yuki Abe hailed the impact of the Urawa Red Diamonds class of 2007 who turned out to support the 2017 generation on to their AFC Champions League final victory on Saturday.
A decade ago, Abe was in the line-up alongside the likes of Yuichiro Nagai, Robson Ponte and Keita Suzuki as Urawa defeated IR Iran's Sepahan 3-1 on aggregate to lift Japan's first AFC Champions League.
And it was he, this time as captain, who lifted the Saitama club's second continental title high into the night's sky after a 1-0 win over Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia secured a 2-1 aggregate victory.
"I was so happy 10 years ago and I’m so happy this time too," said a delighted Abe, who is in his second spell at the club after a stint at Leicester City.
"The whole team fought really together to achieve this - I'm just so happy we've become Asian champions for a second time."
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Asia’s top leagues senior executives and hosts of AFC’s future competitions were given first-hand experience of the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) match day organisation at the AFC Champions League final at Saitama Stadium 2002.
The tour before the AFC Champions League Final 2017 between Urawa Red Diamonds (Japan) and Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) on Saturday was aimed at providing an overview of the AFC match day venue set up.
The main focus of the tour included hospitality facilities in VVIP and VIP areas, broadcast and media facilities, pitch and competition zones, stadium perimeter and surroundings before the match.
Representatives from the Local Organising Committees of the next two big competitions – AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 and AFC U-23 Championship China 2018, as well as CEOs of AFC Champions League Participating Member Association League were part of the tour.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Matchwinner Rafael Silva claimed his strike that settled the 2017 AFC Champions League Final with two minutes remaining was only a minor part of Urawa Red Diamonds’ second continental title after the 1-0 victory over Al Hilal in the second leg at Saitama Stadium on Saturday ensured a 2-1 aggregate win.
The Saudi side failed to cut out Yuki Muto’s pass and the 25-year-old Brazilian surged into the penalty area before unleashing a vicious shot that screamed past Abdullah Al Mayoof in the Al Hilal goal.
The goal was Silva’s ninth of the competition, just one behind the 2017 AFC Champions League Top Scorer Omar Khribin of Al Hilal, with the former Albirex Niigata forward having also scored in the first leg in Riyadh a week earlier.
“Of course, scoring a goal in a final like this is huge – it’s a wonderful thing,” said Silva, after the match.
“But I feel like I just made a contribution of a few percentage.”
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Urawa Red Diamonds head coach Takafumi Hori revealed that his players had a “special motivation” in the AFC Champions League after the Japanese side’s 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal on Saturday meant they were crowned continental champions following a 2-1 aggregate win.
Rafael Silva was again the match winner as the Brazilian’s strike with two minutes left on the clock added to his opener in the 1-1 first-leg draw last week as he finished with nine goals for the tournament.
The victory capped a memorable three months for Hori, who replaced the outgoing Mihailo Petrovic prior to the quarter-finals and then guided Urawa to wins over Kawasaki Frontale, Shanghai SIPG and Al Hilal as the J.League team added to their 2007 title.
“The players had a special motivation for this tournament, as did the supporters, so I think this is why we were able to do so well,” said Hori.
“I would also like to thank the supporters, who gave their best, but also Petrovic who built the foundations of the team, and I learned from him.”
“We were very prepared for our opponents today after studying them a lot.”
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Al Hilal coach Ramon Diaz congratulated Urawa Red Diamonds on lifting the 2017 AFC Champions League trophy, while expressing his pride of his own players who reached the final.
A late Rafael Silva goal consigned Al Hilal to a 1-0 defeat in the second leg of the final in Saitama, having came into the match on the back of a 1-1 draw in Riyadh.
The Argentinian admitted his side should have done better in the first leg to give themselves a chance of winning the title.
“Maybe we lost our chance here in Tokyo after missing so many chances in Riyadh. It was a dream to be here and we did well all the way through tournament,” reflected Diaz.
“I want to congratulate Urawa for winning the cup. I am really satisfied with my players. They performed very well, and I am proud of everyone at the club.”
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: The 2017 AFC Champions League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Yosuke Kashiwagi paid tribute to the unity of the Urawa Red Diamonds team and their supporters as the playmaker celebrated his side’s second continental title after a 1-0 win over Al Hilal on Saturday that secured a 2-1 aggregate victory.
Kashiwagi and his side came out on top for the seventh successive time at home in the AFC Champions League when, following a 1-1 draw in Riyadh in the first leg a week earlier, Rafael Silva netted his ninth goal of the tournament in the 88th minute to settle matters at the tournament’s finale hosted at the Saitama Stadium.
While it was Yuki Muto, not Kashiwagi, who played the assist for Silva’s winner, the 29-year-old Japan international has been in impressive form throughout the tournament, particularly in the knockout stages where he laid on a number of goals for his teammates, and also scored a vital goal in the semi-finals against Shanghai SIPG.
“While I don’t think I deserve this award, I am, of course, very honoured to receive this recognition,” said Kashiwagi.
“I am very flattered and proud. I will certainly do my best to honour this award.”
The former Sanfrecce Hiroshima star was, however, quick to deflect the praise and acclaim his fellow Urawa Reds players and their loyal supporters who packed the stands in Saitama.
Indeed, the Reds finish the tournament with a 100 percent record in Japan after ending Al Hilal’s impressive 13-game unbeaten streak.
“A lot of our success is due to the way we came together as a team,” he added.
“The communication under [coach Takafumi] Hori has been very good and we learnt a lot in this tournament, playing a lot of very good teams.
“We didn’t play so well away from home, but very well at home.
“For me, this is due to the way the Reds' supporters encouraged us and cheered us on.
“It is like our fans and the team came together as one and were able to win the AFC Champions League title.”
Photo: AFP
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Omar Khribin has won the 2017 AFC Champions League top scorer award after the Syrian’s 10 goals saw him finish one ahead of Urawa Red Diamonds’ Rafael Silva and Shanghai SIPG’s Hulk.
Khribin scored in the first leg of the final against Urawa in Riyadh last Saturday as Al Hilal drew 1-1 with the Japanese side, although injury forced the striker off after an hour of the return fixture and the Saudi giants ultimately lost 2-1 on aggregate.
But the disappointment of defeat in the final takes nothing away from Khribin’s performances throughout the competition as the forward helped fire his side to a second final in four years and in doing so, became one of the most talked about players on the continent.
Khribin scored his first goal of the 2017 AFC Champions League in Al Hilal’s 2-2 Matchday Three draw with the United Arab Emirates’ Al Wahda, before he added a brace, including a late winner, in a 4-3 victory over Qatar’s Al Rayyan as the Riyadh side topped the group.
It was in the knockout rounds, though, that Khribin really started to grab the headlines as he again scored a match-winning strike in the 2-1 win over Esteghlal Khouzestan in the second leg of the Round of 16 as Al Hilal won 4-3 on aggregate.
www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league/video/urawa_red_diamonds_vs_al_hilal.html
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: There were celebrations across Asia as titles were won and World Cup places were confirmed. The-AFC.com relives an action-packed third quarter of 2017.
July
As club football across the continent paused for the summer, attention turned to the AFC Futsal Club Championship which took place in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam with 14 teams battling for the title.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: In the second of a four-part series looking back at the year gone by, the-AFC.com revisits the second quarter of 2017, which saw plenty of footballing action across the continent at both club and international levels.
April
While group stage action in the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup neared its end in April, the month also saw a momentous event play out in women's football.
On April 7, neighbours Korea Republic and DPR Korea faced off in an AFC Women's Asian Cup qualifier in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Stadium, with a capacity crowd of 42,500 in attendance to watch the first meeting between the women's sides in DPR Korea.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw as both teams vied for the lone ticket to the AFC Women's Asian Cup Jordan 2018. Sung Hyang-sim gave DPR Korea the lead at the stroke of half time, before Korea Republic equalised through Jang Sel-gi in the second half.
The result meant that both teams had a chance of going through to the Finals but eventually, it would be Korea Republic who grabbed top spot in the group, edging their rivals on goal difference after a 4-0 win over Uzbekistan on the final matchday.
Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Kuala Lumpur: 2017 was an eventful year for Asian football, providing fans with a host of memorable moments. As the year heads to a close, the-AFC.com looks back at what transpired throughout the year in a four-part series, starting with the first three months.
January
As usual, the first major action of the calendar year took place in the preliminary stages of the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup.
One of the standout performances of this stage came from Global FC, who became the first Filipino club to participate in the AFC Champions League when they faced Tampines Rovers of Singapore.
Global marked their debut with a historic result as goals from Ahamad Azzawi and captain Misagh Bahadoran gave the side from Cebu a 2-0 win, which saw them progress to the Preliminary Stage 2 clash with Australia's Brisbane Roar.
Although Global would go on to lose 0-6 to Brisbane, the first experience of playing at the highest stage will undoubtedly remain a special one for the club and their fans.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Seoul: Korea Republic's Jeju United have signed Brazilian forward Tiago Marques for the 2018 season.
With his 193-centimetre frame, the 29-year-old bagged 11 goals and three assists in 32 matches with Brazilian Serie B side Juventude this year.
The K League Classic club said Tiago will bring various attacking options, as he can play as a target man or as a shadow striker.
"This is my first time playing overseas," Tiago said through the club. "I will become a player who can move fans' hearts with my performance."
Jeju finished the 2017 season as the runners-up in the K League Classic. They will compete in the AFC Champions League next year.
Sources: Yonhap & www.jeju-united.com
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bacolod: Ceres Negros beat Global Cebu FC 4-1 to be crowned champions of the Philippines Football League 2017 at the Pana-ad Stadium on Saturday.
Bienvenido Maranon's goal and an Iain Ramsay hat-trick secured a convincing win for Ceres as they claimed the first PFL title since the supplanting of the United Football League.
Maranon opened the scoring just four minutes into the game, courtesy of Ramsay's pass from the left to beat Patrick Phillip.
Just moments later, Global went close with an attempt of their own, but Rufino Sanchez's shot struck the post.
In the 20th minute, Ramsay doubled the Ceres lead when a quick counter-attack caught Global off guard, Stephen Schrock surging down the centre before delivering a swift pass to Ramsay who finished with aplomb.
Ceres' superiority paid dividends once again seven minutes later when Jim Junior Munoz dribbled down the right flank before setting up for Ramsay to grab his brace and a third for Ceres.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Bacolod: After a gruelling 28 league game season over a seven-month period, followed by a two-legged semi-final, it all comes down to this. One match – on Saturday, December 16, 2017 at Bacolod’s Panaad Stadium – to decide who writes their name into the history books as the first champions of the Philippines Football League (PFL).
Both Grand Finalists have played more than 40 matches each during the year with their commitments in the continental Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup and the Singapore Cup adding to their already congested fixture list.
The two football gladiators still standing after this arduous journey are Ceres Negros FC from Bacolod, Negro Occidental and Global Cebu FC based in Cebu City, Cebu.
Second-placed Ceres clinched their spot in the final with a hard fought 3-1 aggregate win over Kaya FC-Makati in the semi-final. Goals from Spanish twin terrors of Fernando Rodriguez and Bienvenido Maranon – who have each scored 21 goals in the PFL this season – helped the Busmen power their way to the Grand Final.
Global, commonly known as the People’s Club, had it tougher when they ousted top seeds FC Meralco Manila 3-2 on aggregate, in dramatic fashion.
In the second leg, Rufo Sanchez latched onto a poor clearance by the Meralco defence to score just seven minutes before the final whistle. The goal gave Global the lead which saw them through to Bacolod.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: 2017 will always be a remembered as a landmark year for Indian football.
While most fans will look back and remember India's successful hosting of the FIFA U-17 World Cup and Jaekson Singh's historic goal against Colombia, there will also be a significant place in history for the tale of Aizawl FC, a trailblazing club who became the first team from India's northeastern region to win the I-League title.
To understand the magnitude of Aizawl's achievement, you only need to look at where they've come from.
After their inception as an amateur team in 1984, Aizawl had disappeared from the footballing scene in the late 1990s. After significant efforts from a group of friends who were passionate about the game, the club was reborn in 2011.
From then on, the club from the capital of the state of Mizoram began its gradual ascent to the top. Professionalism was brought in 2012 and subsequently, a spot in the I-League 2nd Division was on offer.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Bahraini champions Malkiya Club will write a bit of history when they take to the pitch next month in the AFC Champions League qualifying Play-off against Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates.
The single-legged game in Al Ain will mark the Bahraini club's first ever game in an Asian competition and, regardless of the result, it is bound to be a special occasion for the team known as Fares Al Gharbiya or 'The Knight of the West'.
That nickname arises from the club's location in the eponymous village of the same name in the former Western governorate of Bahrain, as they have been the only representative of the region in the top tier for many years now.
However, despite that title of pride, Malkiya had never won any silverware in its history - until the extraordinary campaign of 2016-17 - in what was described by the Bahraini media as nothing short of a miracle.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Shanghai: Vitor Pereira wants to go one better than predecessor Andre Villas-Boas by winning a title after being named coach of Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG on Tuesday.
The 49-year-old, who was once assistant to Villas-Boas at Porto, has been out of football since leaving 1860 Munich following relegation to the German third tier in May.
Pereira is tasked with breaking Guangzhou Evergrande's stranglehold on the Chinese Super League (CSL).
Villas-Boas left SIPG two weeks ago after a turbulent season failed to yield a trophy despite reaching the last four of the Asian Champions League, the final of the Chinese FA Cup and coming second behind Guangzhou in the CSL.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riyadh: The dust has yet to settle after another heart-breaking AFC Champions League final defeat, but Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal will look to start afresh and make amends, having learnt of their opponents in the group stage draw for next year's event.
Earlier this week, the draw for the 2018 AFC Champions League placed Al Hilal in Group D, setting the stage for a series of mouth-watering clashes. The Saudi giants have been drawn alongside Esteghlal, Al Rayyan and the winner of the play-off between Al Ain and Al Malkiya.
Al Hilal and Esteghlal have a history between them in Asian competitions and memorably faced off in the final of the 1991 Asian Club Championship, when the former came out on top to become the first Saudi side to win the Asian title.
Qatar's Al Rayyan are also familiar opponents for Al Hilal, after the teams played out two epic encounters in the group stage in 2017, both of which were won by Al Hilal.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Asia’s two leading club competitions – the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup – just got more lucrative the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced today.
The AFC Champions League winners will receive US$4m – up from US$3m – in 2018 while the club that lifts the AFC Cup will pick up US$1.5m from next season rather than the US$1m currently on offer.
In announcing the rise, Dato’ Windsor John, the AFC General Secretary, said: “There is increased prize money at every stage in the AFC Champions League, which is already one of the richest continental club competitions in world football.
“The AFC Cup also sees significant increases for the winners and the finalists next season as we fulfil our Vision and Mission to deliver world class competitions which provide the best platform for Asia’s leading players.
“One of our key decisions has been to invest in both our competitions, which are the lifeblood of every Confederation, and our Member Associations who provide the teams. We can already see the rewards with even higher standards and greater intensity in the competition.
“The AFC has always looked to reward success and we are also dedicated to growing our competitions. Now we believe that in 2018 the incentive to win our two main club competitions will be greater than ever.”
The AFC Champions League is second only to the European club competitions in terms of prize money and in addition to the US$1m increase for the winner the runners-up will get an extra US$500,000 taking the purse to US$2m.
There is the introduction of a travel subsidy in the early stages with an increase in prize money to US$100,000 in the round of 16, US$150,000 in the quarter-finals and a rise of US$50,000 in the semi-finals taking the total to US$250,000 per team.
In the AFC Cup, the winners rise of US$500,000 is in addition to the increase for the runners-up to US$750,000 from US$500,000. All the increases will come into force in the 2018 AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup.
Photo: AFP
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Recent runners-up Al Hilal discovered their Group Stage opponents for the 2018 edition of the AFC Champions League following the competition’s official draw in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
The Saudi Arabian giants, who lost to Urawa Red Diamonds over two legs in this year’s final, will begin their latest continental campaign in the West Zone’s Group D where they have Esteghlal from the Islamic Republic of Iran, Qatar’s Al Rayyan and the Play-off 1 winner for company.
In the East Zone, two-time winners Guangzhou Evergrande begin their latest continental campaign from Group G and are set to face Jeju United from the Korea Republic, Thailand’s Buriram United and a yet to be determined Japanese side.
The fixtures for the Preliminary and Play-off stages – as well as the clubs competing in them – were also confirmed at the event.
WEST
Group A
Al Jazira (UAE)
Al Ahli Saudi FC (KSA)
Tractorsazi Tabriz (IRN)
Winner of Play-off 3 (WEST)
Group B
Al Duhail SC (QAT)
Al Wahda (UAE)
PFC Lokomotiv (UZB)
Winner of Play-off 2 (WEST)
Group C
Persepolis FC (IRN)
Al Sadd SC (QAT)
Al Wasl (UAE)
Winner of Play-off 4 (WEST)
Group D
Al Hilal SFC (KSA)
Esteghlal FC (IRN)
Al Rayyan SC (QAT)
Winner of Play-off 1 (WEST)
EAST
Group E
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC (KOR)
Kitchee SC (HKG)
Winner of Play-off 4 (EAST)
Winner of Play-off 2 (EAST)
Group F
Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)
Ulsan Hyundai FC (KOR)
Melbourne Victory (AUS)
Winner of Play-off 3 (EAST)
Group G
Guangzhou Evergrande FC (CHN)
Japan 2nd Club
Jeju United FC (KOR)
Buriram United (THA)
Group H
Sydney FC (AUS)
Shanghai Shenhua FC (CHN)
Kashima Antlers (JPN)
Winner of Play-off 1 (EAST)
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Despite Al Hilal SFC losing out in the 2017 AFC Champions League final, striker Omar Khrbin emerged with his head held high following a campaign throughout which he had excelled in front of goal.
From a wonderfully astute finish in Abu Dhabi on Matchday Three to an equally memorable strike in the final against the might of Urawa Red Diamonds, Khrbin frequently proved unstoppable as the Syrian’s 10 goals saw him finish as the competition’s leading marksman – success powered by his unerring ability to be, more often than not, in the right place at the right time.
The livewire forward’s performances also ensured he was named the 2017 AFC Player of the Year – just reward for a season when he led the line superbly for Ramón Díaz’s charges.
With the latest edition of Asia’s premier club competition nearing its resumption, join the-AFC.com as we take a trip down memory lane to relive Khrbin’s exploits and see exactly why he earned the title – AFC Hotshot.
www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league/video/aqeel_al_sahbi_vs_al_ain.html
www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league/video/chanathip_songkrasin_vs_brisbane_roar.html
www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league/video/hulk_vs_urawa_red_diamonds.html
www.the-afc.com/en/club/afc_champions_league/photo/10_great_photos_from_acl2017_quarter-finals.html
10 Great Photos from ACL2017 Quarter-finals
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: A year of hard work and dedication came to a close with clubs, players and coaches reaping the rewards in the last quarter of 2017. The-AFC.com reviews the action from the final three months in the fourth part of this series.
October
Four Asian nations had already booked their tickets to Russia 2018, but there was half a spot to be contested between Syria and Australia, with the winners facing the fourth-placed CONCACAF side for a place in the FIFA World Cup.
Syria had stunned the continent to finish third in their group, ahead of heavyweights like China PR and Qatar, while Australia were edged by Japan and Saudi Arabia.
The two sides faced off in Malaysia for the first leg, and the Socceroos took the lead through Robbie Kruse late in the first half, but Omar Al Somah equalised for the Qasioun Eagles from the penalty spot five minutes before the end of the match.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: There were celebrations across Asia as titles were won and World Cup places were confirmed. The-AFC.com relives an action-packed third quarter of 2017.
July
As club football across the continent paused for the summer, attention turned to the AFC Futsal Club Championship which took place in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam with 14 teams battling for the title.
Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Kuala Lumpur: 2017 was an eventful year for Asian football, providing fans with a host of memorable moments. As the year heads to a close, the-AFC.com looks back at what transpired throughout the year in a four-part series, starting with the first three months.
January
As usual, the first major action of the calendar year took place in the preliminary stages of the AFC Champions League and the AFC Cup.
One of the standout performances of this stage came from Global FC, who became the first Filipino club to participate in the AFC Champions League when they faced Tampines Rovers of Singapore.
Global marked their debut with a historic result as goals from Ahamad Azzawi and captain Misagh Bahadoran gave the side from Cebu a 2-0 win, which saw them progress to the Preliminary Stage 2 clash with Australia's Brisbane Roar.
Although Global would go on to lose 0-6 to Brisbane, the first experience of playing at the highest stage will undoubtedly remain a special one for the club and their fans.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The last four weeks have wrapped up a fantastic month in Asian club and national team football with joy and despair witnessed across the continent as the season climaxed in thrilling style.
With the AFC Champions League, the AFC Cup and international football to take a break until early 2017, join the-AFC.com as we look back on a November that will live long in the memory.
Air Force Club retain the AFC Cup
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: the-AFC.com has announced that Al Hilal’s Omar Khribin is the winner of this week’s Goal of the Week presented by Allianz for the 2017 AFC Champions League competition after a public vote amongst the fans on the AFC Champions League’s social media networks.
Below are the full list of nominees with the winner in bold:
Watch Khribin’s winner and the two other goals in the video below.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Urawa Red Diamonds were crowned Asian champions on Saturday after beating Al Hilal 1-0 in the 2017 AFC Champions League final second leg at Saitama Stadium.
Just as in the first leg, which ended 1-1, Al Hilal gave a good account of themselves, but ultimately couldn’t turn their dominance of the ball into clear chances, and were again punished by the clinical Rafael Silva.
Defensive discipline key for Reds