Tuesday May 19th sees Kashiwa Reysol take on Suwon Bluewings in the 1st leg of their Asian Champions league Last 16 tie in Korea. Two years ago – in their last visit to Suwon – a brace apiece from Junya Tanaka, Masato Kudo and Ryoichi Kurisawa saw them destroy that team 6-2 in an ACL group match and the Chiba boys will be looking for a similar result this time, taking a goal or three advantage back for the home leg on May 26th.
Despite an away defeat to Becamex Binh Doung in their final group match in this tournament, having already qualified, Reysol had opted to give time to squad players and are not concerned about coming into the knockout stages on a loss.
Reysol have been struggling for consistency in the league this season – currently sitting 13th and looking to have no hope of gaining any ground to a play-off spot in the 1st Stage. Theories abound that they are putting it all into the ACL to qualify for the quarter finals before concentrating on the 2nd Stage!
Suwon are returning to the knockout stage for the first time since 2011 when they were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners Al Sadd. While Suwon took care of a hapless Urawa Reds in ACL group play this year, Reysol have lost just once in nine ACL matches against Korean opposition. They must be confident!
In the other Tuesday night match in the Eastern half of the ACL draw Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will entertain Beijing Guoan.
In the West, also on Tuesday, it’s 2011 winners Al Sadd against domestic league champions Lekhwiya, who successfully defended their title under Danish coach Michael Laudrup, facing off in an all-Qatari tie, while Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal face Iran’s Persepolis at the Azadi Stadium.
On Wednesday night, May 20th, it’s Gamba Osaka’s turn to represent Japan when they travel to FC Seoul. The last time these teams met was a big day for Takashi Usami who made his professional debut for Gamba – six years ago this very day – May 20th, 2009 – making club history as their youngest ever player at the age of 17 years and 14 days. And.. he scored, too! Here’s hoping for similar success in this one.
Seoul, who will be without suspended Spanish defender Osmar Barba, reached the knockout stages as Group H runners-up after Mauricio Molina’s last-gasp winner to ensure passage at the expense of beaten opponents Kashima Antlers two weeks ago in Ibaraki, Japan.
The other match in the East sees two-time Asian champions Seongnam FC of Korea Republic and 2013 AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande from China set to face off in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie on Wednesday with both sides looking to lay a foundation for another tilt at continental honours.
Seongnam – known as Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma when they won the AFC Champions League in 2010 – will entertain Chinese Super League champions Guangzhou at Tancheon Sports Complex after finishing second in Group F behind 2008 winners Gamba, after their dramatic 2-1 loss to the Japanese treble winners on the final Matchday.
Fabio Cannavaro’s Guangzhou, meanwhile, comfortably won Group H ahead of Korea’s FC Seoul to return to the knockout stage for a fourth consecutive year.
Seongnam are appearing in the knockout stage of the AFC Champions League for a fifth time after losing at the same stage in 2012 to Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor.
On Wednesday, in the western side of the draw, we see an all-Emirati tie between United Arab Emirates champions Al Ain and domestic rivals Al Ahli, while Naft Tehran entertain Saudi side Al Ahli after the Iranian play-off winners continued their fine debut in the AFC Champions League with qualification for the last 16 as Group B runners-up.
