TOKYO: Ramon Diaz was left to bemoan Al-Hilal’s luck as the Riyadh giants lost the AFC Champions League final second leg 1-0 to Urawa Reds to go down 2-1 on aggregate.
Diaz’s side were on top for much of the 180 minutes against the J-League powerhouse but a 1-1 draw in Riyadh and the defeat at the Saitama Stadium gave Urawa Reds a second continental title ten years after the first.
”We had no luck,” a downbeat Diaz said.
“I think that overall in the tournament, we were the best team but in the final and especially in this game, circumstances were against us.”
It was always going to be tough to break down a resolute Urawa defense even before the loss of star Brazilian Carlos Eduardo due to injury early in the first leg. To make matters worse, tournament top scorer Omar Khribin hobbled off in the second half in Japan and was followed soon after by the red-carded Salem Al-Dawsari.
”This is football,” added the Argentine, linked earlier in the week to the vacant Saudi Arabia national team job.
“We did our best but were not able to get the win. I congratulate Urawa and I also congratulate my players who gave everything, not only in this game but in the tournament overall.”
A late strike from Rafael Silva, the scorer of Urawa’s goal a week ago, gave the Reds the win and Al-Hilal a first defeat in the competition this year. Not that the champions cared but the game was far from a classic. For the neutral, the game needed an early Al-Hilal breakthrough to cancel out the away goal from the first leg. But the Japanese, lining up in their usual 4-1-4-1 formation, worked hard to ensure it did not happen.
The Reds were happy to let the visitors have most of the ball for the second successive Saturday though this time, similar percentages of possession did not convert into similar clear chances. In the opening 45 minutes, there were more yellow cards than goalmouth action.
Al-Dawsari was the danger man in the first half, even if he damaged his own team in the second. A smart piece of skill gave the winger time to shoot from just outside the area before the half-hour but the ball just cleared the crossbar. Not long after he was shooting wide before Nicolas Milesci missed the best chance of the half with an weak shot when in space in the box.
Only the 60,000 all-singing and all-dancing fans in red reminded that this game was being played in Japan, such was the visitors’ aggression. After the break, Al-Hilal continued to dominate possession, spending longer and longer in the
Urawa half but finding less and less space. The Saudis were becoming increasingly desperate, introducing 36-year-old striker Yasser Al-Qahtani midway through the second half just as the Japanese were introducing defenders.
Inevitably, that pressure gave Urawa space to counter-attack and with 16 minutes remaining, the hosts had their best chance as Shinzo Koroki Silva headed towards the bottom corner, only for Abdullah Al-Mayoof to somehow get down and to make a stupendous save.
Frustration was understandable for Al-Hilal but harder to know was why Dawsari, already booked, went in late, high and with studs showing against Wataru Endo. He was rightly dismissed. “I am not going to single out any player,” said Diaz. “We played well as a team.”
That dismissal lifted Urawa and with two minutes remaining, Silva broke free to fire a rocket that gave Al-Mayoof no chance.
“We worked hard for the win and we had to because Al-Hilal are a very good team,” said Urawa boss Takafumi Hori. “I am delighted with my players who came through a great test to become champions of Asia.”
It was a bitter repeat of history for the Saudi Arabian outfit. Just like in the 2014 final against Western Sydney Wanderers, Al-Hilal had been expected to win and, just like in 2014, deserved to.
Yet it is Urawa who take the trophy and go on to the FIFA Club World Cup and a possible tie with Real Madrid. The Al-Hilal players make the long journey home with nothing to show after a year of impressive Asian performances.
Diaz rues Al-Hilal luck after defeat
Diaz rues Al-Hilal luck after defeat
NEOM concede at the death for the second week in a row as Al-Taawoun salvage late draw
- NEOM narrowly lost to Al-Nassr 1-0 last weekend after Mohamed Simakan scored an injury-time winner
- Al-Taawoun followed up with a late equalizer by Mohammed Al-Kuwaykibi to deny them three points
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League returned for Matchday 26, with the table beginning to take its final shape as the season enters its final quarter. The title contenders kick off on Friday and Saturday, but Thursday’s action focused on a clash between upper mid-table sides NEOM and Al-Taawoun, alongside three relegation-battlers — Al-Najma, Damac and Al-Kholood — attempting to improve their standings.
In Tabuk, NEOM played out a 2-2 draw with Al-Taawoun, this season’s surprise package under the returning Pericles Chamusca. After a brilliant start to the campaign that saw them spend much of the season in the top four, a poor run of just one win in their last eight games has followed.
Al-Taawoun’s late equaliser was vital in their bid to maintain a spot in the top five. With Al-Ittihad lurking just three points behind and yet to play this weekend, every point matters for the Wolves of Qassim. Regardless, it has become a painful second half of the season for Chamusca’s side, as they now sit 12 points behind the top four.
After a heroic performance from Luis Maximiano against Al-Nassr last weekend, NEOM were unfortunate to leave Riyadh empty-handed after conceding at the death. There were still plenty of positives from the defeat, as Christophe Galtier’s squad appear to have finally hit second gear this season.
Calm and collected against Al-Nassr, they repeated the same approach against Al-Taawoun. Knowing their opponents thrive on space in the transition, NEOM prevented them from accessing wingers Marin Petkov and Biel, leaving star striker Roger Martinez isolated for most of the match.
Amadou Koné and Abdoulaye Doucouré did their part to disrupt the centre of Al-Taawoun’s block, with the former driving forward and the latter drifting in between the lines to create the opener. In the 23rd minute, Al-Taawoun’s defence were pulled apart as Luciano Rodríguez met Doucouré’s precise through ball to slot home.
NEOM maintained their composure throughout the match, but it took a wonder strike from Martinez to bring the visitors level in the 70th minute, the Colombian producing a superb strike from distance.
It only took six minutes for NEOM to respond. Saïd Benrahma broke down the Al-Taawoun defence once again, releasing Alexandre Lacazette for a powerful finish to restore the hosts’ lead.
Despite the strong performance from NEOM, they ultimately fell victim to another late setback. Substitute Mohammed Al-Kuwaykibi surged down the flank in stoppage time before cutting inside and curling a precise finesse shot beyond Maximiano to salvage a point.
Elsewhere, Damac continued their resurgence under Fabio Carrille with a 3-1 victory over Al-Najma, who remain rooted to the bottom of the table. The win moves Damac six points clear of Al-Riyadh in the relegation zone, while Al-Najma sit 14 points from safety with eight matches remaining.
Meanwhile, Al-Hazem secured a late victory after Abdulaziz Al-Dwehe netted an 86th-minute winner in a 2-1 triumph over Al-Kholood. It was a frustrating night for the Saudi Pro League’s all-time leading scorer Omar Al-Somah, who missed a penalty for the winners in the 60th minute.
Saudi Pro League action resumes on Friday, with Al-Fayha hosting Al-Ettifaq and Al-Riyadh welcoming Al-Ittihad at 10:00pm. The headline fixture of the evening — kicking off at the same time — sees second-placed Al-Ahli travel to face fourth-placed Al-Qadsiah. Victory for Al-Ahli against tough opposition would strengthen their title push, while defeat for Al-Qadsiah could effectively end their unlikely championship hopes.
