Saitama Stadium has seen some magical AFC Champions League moments, from Urawa Reds’ historic title in 2007 to their repeat performance a decade later, and Al Hilal’s drought-breaking success in 2019.
It is perhaps the stadium, along with Riyadh’s King Fahd Stadium, most synonymous with the modern iteration of the AFC Champions League, so it is only fitting that it – along with Saitama’s second stadium, the Komaba Stadium – plays host to the concluding stages of the East Zone of this year’s tournament.
With the knockout rounds condensed, and again held in a centralised, COVID-enforced bubble, the advantage very much lies with home side Urawa Reds who come in on the back of some impressive form in the J.League, with just one defeat from their last ten and a 6-0 win against relegation-threatened Jubilo Iwata last weekend.
A shock 3-0 loss to Nagoya Grampus aside, the Reds have scored 14 goals and conceded just twice over the past month as they recover from a cripplingly slow start to the season; a season in which they were expected to challenge for the title.
But while domestic silverware – something that has eluded Urawa since 2006 – is out of reach this season, a third piece of continental silverware is very much there for the taking.
Standing in their way in the Round of 16 is JDT; the darlings of the group stage after their last second heroics against Ulsan Hyundai in their final group stage game. It was one of the most memorable AFC Champions League moments in recent memory.
While three months has passed since that memorable night at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium, JDT will be riding that wave of momentum. With a new coach at the helm, in the form of Héctor Bidoglio, who replaced Benjamin Mora after his shock exit last month, they will know they are the underdogs in this encounter.
But if they’ve proven anything with their heroics earlier this season it’s that they cannot be taken lightly, something Urawa goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa observed when speaking with Japanese media this week.
“We know from the video of the group stage that the quality of the foreign players is very high, and we have also received information that they have reinforced since then,” the experienced custodian told Sportsnavi.
“In the past, Malaysian teams, including the national team, were not that strong, but not anymore, and since the ACL is a (knockout) competition, we have to be especially careful about (their) foreign players.”
With Japan slowly loosening their strict COVID restrictions, the sight and sound of cheering fans has slowly been returning to J.League stadiums, with Reds fans in full voice for their recent J.League Cup victory over Nagoya Grampus.
Urawa’s two previous Champions League successes came against the stunning backdrop of a full and vociferous Saitama Stadium, and while not all restrictions have been lifted, meaning we’re unlikely to see anything approaching full capacity, Nishikawa knows how important that home ground and home crowd support will be.
“The presence of fans and supporters is important for competing in Asia, and their support in the past ACL games gave me goosebumps,” he said. “I am sure our opponents will not like the fact that we are playing at Saitama Stadium this time, and for us, there is no better situation.”
For JDT this is another chance to show they belong at this level.
Playing on this stage, against clubs with the prestige of Urawa Reds, is where the club has always dreamed of being and that dream is now a reality.
It’s not quite true to say they have nothing to lose, because there is always something to lose in knockout football, but they come in as underdogs and it’s a position they’ll feel comfortable having assumed it throughout the group stage against Ulsan and Kawasaki Frontale.
Their foreign attacking trio of Fernando Forestieri, Bergson and Leandro Velazquez are as dangerous as any left standing in the competition, a point no doubt being hammered home by Reds boss Ricardo Rodriguez. Give away free kicks in-and-around the box at your peril.
But as the home side, this is Urawa’s game to lose. While there will be disappointment they haven’t made a better fist of challenging for the title this season, their inability to turn draws into wins has been their undoing, with a rather remarkable run of seven consecutive draws through April and May.
They’ve lost only six games this season, which is as many as second placed Kashima (as well as Kawasaki Frontale), and fewer than Kashiwa Reysol (9) who sit third. Thanks to their recent run of good form, Urawa have shot up to seventh, displaying some of the form that saw many tip them for the title this season.
Consistency has been their achilles heel, something that can’t be said of JDT. While the competitiveness of their respective leagues differs vastly, the Malaysian powerhouse are on a run of 44 games unbeaten away from home in the Malaysian Super League, dating back to March 2018.
But on the road in the Champions League is a different kettle of fish, and away against Urawa Reds on their home deck is about as tough as it will get.
MAKING HISTORY
Whatever the outcome of the clash between BG Pathum and Kitchee, history will be made in the AFC Champions League. Should BG Pathum make it through, they will match the record of Buriram United from 2013 as the only Thai clubs to have made it through to the quarter final.
While for Kitchee, history has already been made, becoming the first Hong Kong club to make it to the knockout rounds after a dramatic 2-2 draw against Vissel Kobe secured their slice of history. Anything beyond this is almost the stuff of fantasy.
It remains to be seen, however, just what state they arrive in having not played a competitive game since that result against Kobe back in May, with the Hong Kong Premier League not due to resume from it’s lengthy COVID hiatus until later this month.
But as was the case back in April, when they came into the group stage without any competitive football, they have undertaken a rigorous training camp, this time in Korea to prepare for the challenge of BG Pathum.
The Hong Kongers have been in Korea for three weeks, playing friendly matches against local sides to keep their match sharpness.
One would expect BG Pathum to control the possession, and therefore the pace and tempo of this game, as they did for the large part in every game throughout the group stage. While the Thai League season is also yet to resume, they did warm up by winning the Thailand Champions Cup 3-2 against Buriram United just ten days ago.
Under former Vegalta Sendai and Japan U23 coach Makoto Teguramori they have become an incredibly well drilled and difficult side to beat, losing just one of their 16 games since the Japanese took over at the end of February.
Worryingly for both Kitchee and their domestic rivals, they’ve only continued to strengthen too, with the arrival of Thai national team midfielders Jaroensak Wonggorn (from Samut Prakan City) and Phitiwat Sukjitthammakul (from Chiangrai United), which more than makes up for the loss of Chaowat Veerachat who departed again for Cerezo Osaka after impressing throughout the group stage.
This is a game they would expect to win, and with an attacking trio of Teerasil Dangda, Diogo and Ikhsan Fandi they more than have the tools to do it.
But on the other side, is a man by the name of Dejan Damjanovic; a man who needs no introduction.
While he has just turned 41, the Montenegrin just knows how to find the net, with his total of 42 career AFC Champions League goals far eclipsing that of any other player. As he has entered his twilight years he has made no secret of the fact he lives for playing in the AFC Champions League. He sees this as his natural arena; a place where he feels at home.
He loves the AFC Champions League and the AFC Champions League loves him. Does he have one final magical moment left in him?
INTERNAL AFFAIRS
The final two matches of this Round of 16 involve matches that pit teams from the same nation against each other, with J.League title favourites Yokohama F.Marinos taking on surprise J.League strugglers Vissel Kobe, while perennial contenders Jeonbuk Hyundai take on fellow Korean side Daegu FC.
It’s the match-up between Marinos and Kobe that provides the most intrigue. These are two teams that were expected to be in the hunt for domestic silverware this season, and if we’re being honest it was Kobe that was more fancied going into the season.
But the 2020 AFC Champions League semi-finalists stumbled out of the blocks, going without a win in their first 11 games. Marinos, in contrast, looked like Usain Bolt – the sprinter, not the out-of-his-depth footballer he pretended to be for a while.
Kobe has already sacked two managers this season as they battle to avoid the drop, while Marinos fly high at the top of the table, with a commanding five point lead (that could be eight if they win their game in hand) over their nearest rivals.
On paper, this should be an easy victory for Kevin Muscat’s side. But in football, nothing is ever that easy.
For all their struggles this season, Kobe still possess weapons that, on their day, can trouble any side. Yuya Osako and Yoshinori Muto are both experienced Japanese internationals with the quality to cause problems, while recent arrival Stefan Mugosa was one of the most deadly finishers in Korea since signing for Incheon in 2018.
And then there’s Andres Iniesta. While whatever pace he had in his game has all but evaporated, his football brain and touch remain, capable of breaking apart any defence if given the opportunity.
Success in Asia is what Kobe crave most, and they’ve not been shy in sharing that ambition. With continental silverware the only thing to play for this season, it would be folly for anyone to dismiss them out of hand.
Elsewhere, and the wheels look like they’re falling off at Daegu ahead of their all-Korean clash with five-time defending K League champions, Jeonbuk Hyundai.
Alexandre Gama was let go just this week on the back of a ten-game winless streak that has seen plummet to near the foot of the table.
In many ways this clash is not dissimilar to that between Yokohama and Kobe, but while Daegu does have weapons, especially in the form of Cesinha, who has delivered more often than not on the continental stage for his side, it’s hard to see them being able to significantly trouble a Jeonbuk side that is chasing a sixth straight K League crown.
While that is looking less and less likely with every passing week, especially in the wake of the weekend’s 1-3 loss to Incheon, they have an experience and know-how at this level that counts for something. Players like Hong Jeong-ho, Kim Jin-su, Kim Bo-kyung, Paik Seung-ho, Lee Seung-gi, Han Kyo-won, Moon Seon-min and even youngster Song Min-kyu are experienced campaigners with countless international experience.
While they’ve dropped two of their past four matches in the K League, it would still be quite the upset were they not to progress to the quarter finals.
Photo: IG/urawaredsofficial
Listen to Episode 90 of The Asian Game Podcast as Michael flies to Japan to join Scott for a special LIVE recording on the streets of Saitama to preview the knockout rounds of the AFC Champions League.
