Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Gosford: Two-time J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima will be without striker Hisato Sato and Croatian midfielder Mihael Mikic for Tuesday’s meeting with A-League Grand Final winners Central Coast Mariners in the AFC Champions League at Central Coast Stadium.
Hiroshima have made the trip to Australia after maintaining a perfect record at the start of the new domestic campaign with a 2-1 win over fellow AFC Champions League qualifiers Kawasaki Frontale on Saturday.
But after opening the scoring for Sanfrecce just before the hour mark at the weekend, Sato (pictured) has not travelled to Australia, while Mikic has also missed the trip despite playing the full 90 minutes against Kawasaki as Hajime Moriyasu’s side look to build on last month’s 1-1 draw at home to China’s Beijing Guoan in their Group F opener.
“We had a long trip from Japan so the team are a little tired but everything is OK,” said Moriyasu, who saw his side eliminated from the group stage last year without a win.
“We left Mikic in Japan due to a back injury and because the long flight may have taken a toll on his body and Sato is in Japan due to a knee strain.
“Central Coast have players of a high physical capacity. They are very tall, big and strong.
"I think the Mariners are going to play aggressively in this game. In Japan, a physical game is hard to play against so we need to play with speed, and do more running than the Mariners.
"Our first goal of the competition is to get through the group. We want to get the three points tomorrow and then start to look to the next stage.”
Unlike Hiroshima, Central Coast head into the fixture on the back of a domestic defeat following Friday’s 3-1 loss at the hands of fellow AFC Champions League participants Melbourne Victory.
But despite that result leaving Central Coast with six defeats in their last seven matches in all competitions having opened their AFC Champions League campaign last month with a 2-0 reverse against 2013 finalists FC Seoul, coach Phil Moss is in a confident mood as the A-League side look to build on last year’s maiden appearance in the Round of 16.
“They are a team who arrives here with a fantastic record and I think the J.League is widely regarded as the best competition in Asia so to win it back-to-back is no mean feat. They will get the respect they deserve from us, but it is a challenge that we are relishing and one we know we are up to from a mental point of view and a quality one,” said Central Coast coach Moss, who did see his side beat Sydney 2-1 at home at the start of March following their return from Seoul.
“They have got individual quality, of course. We are aware they have left a couple of players at home, but certainly whoever they bring will be of high quality as well so we know we have our work cut out, but we are in a very good place and our performance against Melbourne Victory at the weekend, despite the loss, was very good and very encouraging.”
Moss, though, will be without Marcel Siep against Hiroshima after the Dutch defender was sent-off in the defeat against FC Seoul.
Photo: AFP