Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kobe: Gamba Osaka avoided a hat-trick of draws in the second stage of the J.League after a second-half Takashi Usami strike sealed the 2015 AFC Champions League quarter-finalists a 2-1 victory over Vissel Kobe on Saturday.
Having opened the scoring in the previous round’s 1-1 draw at home to Sagan Tosu, 2009 AFC Player of the Year Yasuhito Endo again got the opening goal for Gamba, when the skipper found the net 12 minutes into the meeting at the Kobe ‘Wing Stadium’, venue for three matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Gamba’s inability to hold onto a lead once again surfaced as veteran defender Takahiro Masukawa drew Vissel level three minutes into first half-time stoppage but fortunately for the reigning J.League champions former Bayern Munich loanee Usami (pictured celebrating his goal against FC Seoul in the Round of 16 in this year’s ACL) struck in the 77th minute with what transpired to be the winning goal.
The victory, Gamba’s second in five matches, took the Osaka side’s tally for the campaign to eight points, putting them third in the current J.League standings, a point behind fellow 2015 ACL quarter-finalists Kashiwa Reysol and three adrift of undefeated league leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima.
Gamba continue their quest for a second AFC Champions League tile next month when the 2008 winners face fellow former champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the last eight of this season’s ACL.
The 2014 J.League treble winners travel to the Korea Republic for the first-leg of their quarter-final clash with the 2006 winners on August 26 before Gamba host the return fixture on September 16.
Photo: AFP