Osaka beat Nagoya 4-1 to win Emperor´s Cup

January 1, 2010

Japan international midfielder Yasuhito Endo scored twice and set up another to lead defending champions Gamba Osaka to a 4-1 victory over Nagoya Grampus in the Emperor’s Cup final on Friday.

Osaka have now won the knock-out tournament three times.

Brazilian striker Lucas opened the scoring only six minutes into the first half after a quick passing move started by Endo on the left.

Nagoya missed a crucial chance to equalize when Keiji Yoshimura’s shot smacked the left post in the 30th minute.

Ten minutes later Nagoya drew level when Keiji Tamada sent a long ball into the Osaka area, where Australian international Josh Kennedy provided a perfect cross for Naoshi Nakamura to head home.

After a period of sustained Nagoya pressure in the second half, Endo dribbled to the edge of the area on the counter-attack and fired a left-footer to regain the lead in the 77th minute.

He then exchanged passes with Takahiro Futagawa, who made it 3-1 in the 85th minute before Endo put the game beyond Nagoya’s reach in injury time.

“I believed that we would create scoring chances sooner or later,” said Endo, adding that Nagoya’s tactics meant Osaka “couldn’t play our usual game.”

Osaka coach Akira Nishino noted that “for Nagoya, it was their last chance to qualify for the AFC Champions League, so they played aggressively in the second half.”

Osaka had already qualified for the AFC Champions League by finishing third in the J-League competition.

“We couldn’t win a trophy this season, so we wanted to win this one,” said Nishino.

“It was very tough until the end, but my players kept their motivation high and they did a very good job.”

TOKYO (AFP)

Tags: afc champions league, akira, Akira Nishino, emperor, good job, injury time, j league, japan international, Josh Kennedy, knock out, last chance, league competition, left footer, Lucas, midfielder, Nagoya, nagoya grampus, Nakamura, nishino, Osaka, osaka area, six minutes, striker, tokyo, yasuhito endo, yoshimura

Pohang Steelers coach eyes Club World Cup

November 8, 2009

Pohang Steelers coach Sergio Farias is eyeing next month’s Club World Cup after his side won their third continental crown to become the most successful side in Asian football history.

The South Korean outfit shocked two-time champions Al Ittihad 2-1 to lift the AFC Champions League for the first time Saturday, adding to their titles in the former Asian Club Championship in 1997 and 1998.

Their win in Tokyo’s National Stadium over the Saudi giants means they are the first team to win three continental trophies and Farias said he hoped it would inspire Korean football to new heights.

Second-half goals from No Byung-Jun and Kim Hyung-Il sealed a 2-1 victory and Farias now wants South Korean football to become the dominant force in Asia. Pohang’s win follows victory for South Korea’s Jeonbuk Motors in 2006.

“This victory proves that Korean football is evolving but that there is room for improvement,” said the Brazilian.

“So I hope this triumph will trigger the players and clubs to open up their eyes to understand the necessity of improving their football.”

“A football club needs to use all their potential to win a title,” he added.

“When I first came to this team technically they were good but they were not as competitive.

“You have to have both technical and physical aspects but you have to achieve results, results are everything in football. We want to play football that is beautiful to watch but also achieve results.”

Following a tight first half, Pohang took the lead when No’s 25-yard free-kick found the net and they doubled their lead with a header from another set piece.

The Saudis hit back through Mohammed Noor with 16 minutes to go but could not level the scores.

Now Farias will take his charges to the Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, featuring heavyweights Barcelona, the European champions, and Estudiantes, winners of the Copa Libertadores.

“For sure, it is a dream for every club to take part in the Club World Cup, especially for us,” he said.

“We know our team’s potential. I cannot say how far we can reach, but we will do our best,” Farias added.

But before the team travel to the Middle East, Farias said Pohang were bidding for victory in the K-League. They qualified for the play-offs after finishing second in the regular season.

“We are going to aim for our second league victory (since he became coach). We know what we must do in our preparation for the Club World Cup,” Farias said.

And looking further into the future, Farias said he wants to be involved in the World Cup in his native Brazil in 2014.

“I also want to take part in the World Cup as a coach. I started my coaching career quite early, so I think I will have a chance some day. Hopefully, it will be the Brazil World Cup in 2014,” said Farias, who guided Brazil to the quarter-finals of the 2001 under-17 World Cup

Al Ittihad’s Argentinian coach Gabriel Calderon congratulated Pohang on their win.

“I don’t know how Pohang will play in the Club World Cup, but they are an attacking team, so I think they will give a really a good performance,” said Calderon, who played in the 1982 and 1990 World Cups for Argentina.

TOKYO (AFP)

Tags: afc champions league, Al-Ittihad, Argentina, Asia, asian club championship, asian football, Barcelona, brazil, club world cup, continental trophies, copa libertadores, dominant force, european champions, farias, football history, free kick, Gabriel Calderon, heavyweights, Kim Hyung-, Middle East, Mohammed Noor, noor, physical aspects, pohang steelers, saudis, Sergio Farias, south korea, time champions, tokyo, united arab emirates

Pohang beat Al Ittihad to win AFC Champions League

November 7, 2009

Pohang Steelers of South Korea shocked two-time champions Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia 2-1 to capture the AFC Champions League title on Saturday.

With the win, Pohang bagged a berth in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates from December 9-19.

It was a third time the Koreans have won the continental title, following their victories in the former Asian Club Championship in 1997 and 1998.

They eliminated Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan and Umm-Salal of Qatar on their way to the final.

TOKYO (AFP)

Tags: afc champions league, AFP, Al-Ittihad, asian club championship, berth, continental title, fifa club world cup, koreans, pohang steelers, Qatar, saudi arabia, south korea, third time, time champions, tokyo, Umm-Salal, united arab emirates, uzbekistan

Korean, Saudi sides meet in AFC Champions League final

November 7, 2009

Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia take on Pohang Steelers of South Korea in the AFC Champions League final this weekend with both sides aiming for a record third continental championship.

In Saturday’s match, the Saudi giants, who defeated Japan’s Nagoya Grampus 8-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals, will have a chance to regain the AFC Champions League title they won in 2004 and 2005.

The Korean powerhouses, who beat Umm-Salal of Qatar 4-1 on aggregate in their semi-final clash, won the former Asian Club Championship in 1997 and 1998.

“Before every match, the chance to win is 50-50 for each team, so I can’t say who will win,” said Al Ittihad coach Gabriel Calderon, a former Argentine international.

“But we always play for a win and we will do so again in the final. We have a good team and that’s why we are now in the final,” he added.

Al Ittihad’s Tunisian striker Amine Chermiti, 21, has scored in his past three Champions League games since arriving on loan from Bundesliga club Hertha Berlin in August.

The attacking threat also comes from Moroccan forward Hicham Aboucherouane, who finished as the Saudi league’s joint top scorer last season and has been the club’s top scorer in the Champions League with five goals.

Skipper Mohammed Noor, who scored a hat-trick in the first leg against Nagoya in Jeddah, is expected to pull the strings behind them.

“The final is going to be great as we are going to face a good team similar to ours,” said Pohang’s Brazilian coach Sergio Farias, who led Brazil to the quarter-finals of the 2001 under-17 World Cup.

“We are playing the final as a representative of the K-League. This is the biggest motivation that we need. Al Ittihad are not easy opponents but at the same time I don’t think they feel we are such an easy side to beat either.”

Farias is expected to use a 4-3-3 formation with Macedonia striker Stevica Ristic flanked by the Brazilian Denilson and Noh Byung-Joon in a three-pronged attack.

The 27-year-old Ristic has scored three goals in his past four Champions League games, while Denilson, the team’s top scorer in the K-League, has netted seven times in the Champions League.

Noh has scored three times in this season’s competition and Kim Jae-Sung, an attacking midfielder, has four goals.

Al Ittihad, who defeated two Korean teams on their way to their 2004 victory, won the 2008-2009 Saudi Pro League.

Pohang have won the league cup and finished second in the K-League to book a place in the final stages of the play-offs.

The one-leg final at the National Stadium will kick off at 7:00 pm local time (1000 GMT), with the teams vying for the winner’s prize of 1.5 million dollars. The runners-up will receive 750,000 dollars.

TOKYO (AFP)

Tags: afc champions league, Al-Ittihad, amine, asian club championship, berlin, continental championship, farias, Gabriel Calderon, grampus 8, hat trick, hertha berlin, Japan, Jeddah, joon, k league, Macedonia, Mohammed Noor, Nagoya, noor, pohang steelers, powerhouses, pronged attack, Qatar, quarter finals, Sergio Farias, Sung, tokyo, Umm-Salal

Pakhtakor and Al-Ittihad draw in AFC Champions League

September 24, 2009

The first leg of the AFC Champions League quarter final tie between Pakhtakor Tashkent of Uzbekistan and Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia ended in a 1-1 draw.

In the only quarter final to be played on Thursday, the Uzbek hosts needed just six minutes for Milan Nikolic to open the score and put his team in the lead.

The match then remained goalless until minute 72, when Saleh Al-Saqri leveled the score to give the Saudi Arabians a much better starting point for the second leg.

The quarter final return legs are scheduled to be played on September 30.

Jonathan Roorda

Tags: afc champions league, Al-Ittihad, Al-Saqri, jonathan, legs, match, Milan, pakhtakor, saleh, saudi arabia, saudi arabians, score, six minutes, Tashkent, uzbek, uzbekistan

Italy´s Vignaroli stays with Newcastle Jets

August 6, 2009

Italian playmaker Fabio Vignaroli has agreed to extend his contract with Australian A-League club Newcastle Jets.

The Jets said the former Lazio and Bologna attacking midfielder had agreed to terms with the club for a further year.

Vignaroli, 33, was pivotal to the Jets’ reaching the last 16 of this year’s AFC Champions League.

The signing is a boost for the team, who begin their A-League season against Wellington Phoenix at home on Sunday.

SYDNEY (AFP)

Tags: A-League, afc champions league, Bologna, Fabio Vignaroli, Italy, jets, lazio, midfielder, NEWCASTLE, Phoenix, playmaker, SYDNEY, Wellington

FFA crack down on A-League ´divers´

July 31, 2009

Footballers in Australia found guilty of diving face a two-match ban under new disciplinary measures announced by Football Federation Australia on Friday.

The FFA said simulation was unacceptable and it would act to stamp out the practice, used to win penalties and get opposing players sent off.

FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said an independent match review panel would be put in place for the 2009/10 season, kicking off next week.

“I think everyone — fans, players and media — believe that simulation is unacceptable, and I am sure this change will be appreciated by the whole football community,” Buckley said.

“It is important to us that the A-League’s disciplinary provisions are not only consistent with those of the sport internationally, but also with community expectations within Australia.”

Under the new rules, which are backed by the Australian Professional Footballers’ Association and A-League coaches, divers undetected in matches can be banned through video evidence and face a two-match sanction if found guilty.

Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar welcomed the changes, believing they would help stamp out the few divers in the local competition.

“It’s obviously going to help clean up the divers and it’s a pretty harsh penalty as well,” Vidmar said.

“It will be interesting to see who is the first that gets caught.”

Central Coast coach Lawrie McKinna was also a supporter, particularly after the Mariners had been subjected to apparent simulation from Chinese side Tianjin Teda in their AFC Champions League match in Gosford last month.

“I know the reaction of the home crowd that night was scathing of the Chinese, it was just farcical because we’re not used to it,” McKinna said.

“We’re trying to get supporters to games and if people see that it turns the Aussie audiences off.”

The A-League season kicks off with champions Melbourne Victory facing the Mariners in Melbourne on August 6.

SYDNEY (AFP)

Tags: Adelaide, afc champions league, aurelio, Australia, Ben Buckley, Central Coast, chinese side, community expectations, disciplinary measures, disciplinary provisions, ffa, football community, football federation australia, home crowd, Lawrie, league coaches, mckinna, melbourne victory, professional footballers association, sanction, SYDNEY, teda, Tianjin, video evidence, vidmar

Japanese, Korean clubs remain on course for glory

June 25, 2009

TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese clubs remain on course to continue their AFC Champions League success after two J-League clubs booked quarter-final berths despite defeat for defending champions Gamba Osaka.

Osaka crashed out of the competition 3-2 to fellow J-League outfit Kawasaki Frontale Wednesday while Nagoya Grampus beat South Korea’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2-1 to book their place in September’s quarter-finals.

South Korea’s K-League also has two teams through to the last eight with victories for FC Seoul and Pohang Steelers.

The Japanese and Korean sides will battle it out against west zone teams Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, Umm Salal of Qatar, and Pakhtakor and Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan.

Kawasaki Frontale coach Takashi Sekizuka was delighted with his team’s result.

“Winning such an important game today will bring us good confidence, and we?d like to move on and keep fighting hard as a representative of the J-League clubs and Japan,” Sekizuka said.

Dejected Osaka coach Akira Nishino said: “Key players came back from injuries and we played better than I had expected. But we lost goals when my players slowed down in the second half.”

“But it was our best eleven. I was really disappointed, because we cannot play in the Champions League any more while we are regaining our best form,” he added.

Following his side’s clash against Suwon Bluewings, Nagoya’s Serbian coach Dragan Stojkovic said his side had come through a hard battle.

“It was really a tough game but we ended with a win. It gives us a lot of confidence to reach the last eight in Asia.”

Seoul’s Turkish coach Senol Gunes, who oversaw a 5-4 win for his side on penalties after a 2-2 draw against Kashima Antlers, predicted that the winner of the game would go on to lift the trophy.

“It was an exciting game between the top teams from the K-League and the J-League,” said Gunes. “I said before that the winners of this game will reach the final. I still think so.”

“We are going to take game by game to challenge further. It will be good for the team to have a dream (to win the Champions League),” he said.

“In this Champions League, I think Kashima Antlers and FC Seoul are the two strongest teams, so I don’t expect us to have a tougher game than today’s game,” he added.

South Korean side Pohang Steelers thumped Australia’s Newcastle Jets 6-0, with a hat-trick for midfielder Choi Hyo-Jin.

Pohang boss Sergio Farias was full of praise for his midfielder.

“We prepared well and I am happy to see a lot of goals tonight. Our aim was to proceed to the next round and that mission has been accomplished,” he told the AFC Champions League website.

Gamba Osaka won the 2008 Champions League after victory for fellow J-League side Urawa Red Diamonds in 2007.

Tags: AFC, afc champions league, Akira Nishino, Al-Ittihad, antlers, Asia, Australia, berths, CAF Champions League, dragan stojkovic, j league, Japan, k league, Kawasaki, kawasaki frontale, Key, league clubs, Nagoya, nagoya grampus, NEWCASTLE, nishino, Osaka, osaka osaka, pakhtakor, pohang steelers, Qatar, quarter finals, saudi arabia, senol gunes, seoul, Sergio Farias, south korea, suwon bluewings, suwon samsung bluewings, Takashi Sekizuka, tokyo, Umm-Salal, west zone

Japan striker Okubo rejoins Kobe from Wolfsburg

June 16, 2009

TOKYO (AFP) – Japan striker Yoshito Okubo has rejoined J-League club Vissel Kobe from Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg, where he spent the past sixth months without much playing time.

Vissel Kobe said Tuesday that 27-year-old Okubo would start training with the team the following day ahead of their next J-League match at the weekend.

Okubo, who spent a disappointing 18 months with Spain’s Real Mallorca until July 2006 in his first European stint, joined the German side last January on a contract through June 2011.

But he has been limited to nine Bundesliga appearances and scored no goal for Wolfsburg.

“I have come back, hoping to restore my intuition for playing matches,” he said, adding that he felt out of form when he recently played for Japan before they qualified for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

Okubo has scored 64 goals in 149 J-League matches since his debut with Cerezo Osaka in 2001 and five goals in 35 international matches for Japan.

After moving to Spain in January 2005, he scored scored only five goals in 39 La Liga appearances.

He returned to Osaka and then moved to Kobe in early 2007.

Okubo said he would try to help Kobe, perennial J-League strugglers, find their way into title contention and, eventually, the AFC Champions League. The club finished 10th in the J-League last year.

“I will give my all as I strongly hope to play in the ACL and win the title with this club.”

Tags: acl, AFC, afc champions league, Bundesliga, Cerezo, cerezo osaka, club japan, german side, intuition, j league, Japan, Kobe, match, moving to spain, Osaka, playing time, real mallorca, South Africa, Spain, stint, striker, title contention, tokyo, VfL, vissel kobe, Wolfsburg, world cup finals, yoshito okubo

Scolari takes over Uzbeki flagship side Bunyodkor

June 10, 2009

TASHKENT (AFP) – Former World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari took over Uzbekistan league leaders and AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Bunyodkor, local media reported on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup, and was sacked by Chelsea in February, signed an 18-month deal with the Uzbeki flagship side, which was earlier managed by his compatriot Zico.

No financial details of the deal were disclosed.

“Uzbekistan’s football is now creating its successful history,” local media quoted Scolari as saying.

“Bunyodkor as a part of the country’s football has performed impressively in the last four years,” he added. “The side is directed by very responsible people and it definitely has bright prospects.”

The Uzbeki football federation also announced that they were expecting Scolari to coordinate the management of the national youth football academy, which was recently founded in Tashkent.