Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Leandro Damiao was the match winner as J. League champions Kawasaki Frontale defeated 2018 Emperor’s Cup winners Urawa Red Diamonds to lift the season-opening Super Cup on Saturday.
Kawasaki deserved victory, having dominated a match in which they had 12 shots on goal to Urawa's one.
Damiao, who had a goal disallowed in the first half for offside, scored in the 52nd minute with a left footed shot following a rebound.
The win sets the champions up nicely for the 2019 J. League, which kicks off next week, and the 2019 AFC Champions League group stage, which gets underway in March.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: The final eight places in the 2019 AFC Champions League group stage will be confirmed on Tuesday, with four mouth-watering games to be held in East Asia.
In total, seven countries will be represented with two sides from Japan and a team apiece from Australia, China, Korea Republic, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam all aiming to secure their places in the competition proper.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: With the 2019 AFC Champions League East Asia play-offs to take place on Tuesday, the-AFC.com picks out eight players who could inspire their sides to group stage qualification.
Defending champions Kashima Antlers from Japan are joined by domestic rivals Sanfrecce Hiroshima, while 2012 winners Ulsan Hyundai of Korea Republic and China’s Shandong Luneng make up the four seeded teams with Australia’s Newcastle Jets, Thailand’s Chiangrai United, Malaysia’s Perak and Hanoi FC of Vietnam having joined after victories in the Preliminary Stage 2.
An AFC Champions League MVP, an Italian international and a pair of AFF (ASEAN Football Federation) Cup finalists are among our players to look out for as the Continental tournament draws nearer.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kuala Lumpur: Ahead of the 2019 AFC Champions League West Asia play-offs, the-AFC.com looks at eight players who could make the difference for their respective sides.
Two teams from Uzbekistan (Pakhtakor and AGMK) and as many from IR Iran (Zobahan and Saipa) made their way to the play-off stage, joining Qatari duo Al Gharafa and Al Rayyan, while Al Nasr of the UAE and Al Nassr of Saudi Arabia round off the West Asian sides competing for four spots in the AFC Champions League group stage.
From those who starred in the 2018 FIFA World Cup and AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 to a former Premier League and a journeyman of Asian football, these eight players will be key for their teams' chances of progressing to the next stage.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Ipoh: Perak head coach Mehmet Durakovic is proud of the resilience shown by his team in the 2019 AFC Champions League Preliminary Stage Two win over Hong Kong’s Kitchee FC on Tuesday.
The penalty shootout win over Kitchee sealed AFC Champions League debutants Perak a play-off against Korea Republic's Ulsan Hyundai and it was a victory which brought the reigning Malaysia Cup champions mental strength to the fore.
Perak looked to have sealed a place in the play-offs after taking a 1-0 lead, only to concede in the 89th minute of the tie, which then required penalties.
Perak held their nerves, winning the shootout 6-5 to seal a play-off against Ulsan Hyundai, the 2012 AFC Champions League winners.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Tashkent: Marat Bikmaev marked his return to Uzbek club Pakhtakor, having left the club in 2004, with the winning goal in their 2-1 win over Iraq's Air Force Club in the 2019 AFC Champions League Preliminary Stage 2 on Tuesday.
In an exciting contest between the runners-up from the Uzbekistan league and the 2018 AFC Cup winners, 15,000 fans saw three spectacular goals shared between the two sides.
Jaloliddin Masharipov opened the scoring on 76 minutes with a wonderful overhead effort, before Bikmaev - playing for Pakhtakor for the first time in 15 years - curled in a stunning long-range set-piece.
Not to be outdone, 2018 AFC Cup MVP Hammadi Ahmed executed his own acrobatic bicycle kick with three minutes remaining to ensure a thrilling climax.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Newcastle: Nigel Boogaard has admitted that Newcastle Jets are relishing the prospect of facing AFC Champions League holders Kashima Antlers after he scored in extra time to help the Australian side defeat Indonesia’s Persija Jakarta 3-1 on Tuesday and book a play-off date with the Japanese side.
The teams began the one-legged Preliminary Stage 2 match-up at Newcastle Stadium just two games away from the AFC Champions League group stage and it was the hosts who opened the scoring through Ronald Vargas shortly after the interval, but Rizky Lestaluhu equalised to take the game to extra time.
Captain Boogaard then struck the decisive blow in the 101st minute before substitute Matthew Ridenton headed home with a minute to play as Newcastle finally saw off Persija’s brave resistance to secure a play-off with holders Kashima in Japan next Tuesday.