Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Coach Hajime Moriyasu insists J.League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima have learnt valuable lessons from their winless 2013 AFC Champions League campaign and are determined to put things right this year starting with Tuesday’s Group F opener against China’s Beijing Guoan.
While Moriyasu’s side have dominated the domestic scene over the last two seasons having successfully defended the J.League title at the end of last year, Hiroshima were eliminated in the group stage of the 2013 AFC Champions League without picking up a single victory.
After losing their first three fixtures against Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan, Beijing and Korea Republic’s Pohang Steelers, Hiroshima were left with too much ground to make up and could only manage three draws in their final fixtures to finish bottom of Group G.
“Last year we were not technically or tactically inferior but over powered by our opponents’ physical strength,” said Moriyasu, who was named J.League Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season after overseeing Hiroshima’s 2013 title defence.
“Another lesson we have learnt is that we need to win our home games. The teams that compete in the AFC Champions League use different tactics when playing home or away. We have to get those vital three points in our own stadium.
“Our goal this year will be to get through the group stage into the final rounds.”
Hiroshima made their inaugural AFC Champions League appearance in 2010, but also failed to progress past the group stage after defeats in their first three matches in a group that contained Australia’s Adelaide United, defending champions Pohang and China’s Shandong Luneng.
And Hiroshima’s best continental campaign remains a third place finish in the 1969 Asian Club Championship, when they were known as Mazda in the days before the J.League, which marked the first participation of a Japanese club in the pan-Asian tournament.
But Moriyasu knows Hiroshima face a tough task to replicate or even better those achievements in this year’s AFC Champions League against 2013 finalists FC Seoul from Korea Republic as well as A-League Grand Final winners Central Coast Mariners and familiar foes Beijing.
And having shared a goalless draw with Beijing on the final Matchday of the previous campaign, Hiroshima welcome the Chinese Super League side to Hiroshima Athletic Stadium on Tuesday looking to avoid a repeat of last year’s 2-0 opening day home defeat by two-time semi-finalists Bunyodkor.
“I know that all the teams in our group are very strong, especially FC Seoul because they made it all the way to the final last year. Central Coast have some great new additions to their team so I have no doubt that they will also be a difficult opponent,” added Moriyasu.
“To go through to the semi-finals as Kashiwa Reysol did last year with such a difficult domestic and international schedule is an amazing feat. We need to work hard to get the results to go further in the competition.
“Without a doubt, we cannot use the same starting 11 for every game. We need to use the strong qualities that the team possesses to win every match. We need to rotate the squad to make sure to go into each game with best players available.”
Photo: WSG