RIYADH: Coach of Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds Tsuyoshi Otsuki said his team will be looking to attack from the off when his side play Al-Hilal during the first leg of the AFC Champions League Final on Saturday.
The first leg is at the Saudi capital’s King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, with he second showdown of the final set to take place on Nov. 24 at Saitama Stadium in Japan.
Whoever wins this year’s edition will level South Korea’s Pohang’s record of three titles.
“We will try to score as much as possible when we face Al-Hilal on Saturday to make the second peg easier for us,” said Otsuki.
“Travel fatigue will not have a negative impact on our performance, tomorrow you will be able to see if the circumstances led to my team’s recent loss in the Japanese League,” he added.
Otsuki also thanked Urawa’s fans who made the long journey to Riyadh to support their team.
Al-Hilal’s coach, Razvan Lucescu was confident of his team’s chances during Friday’s press conference.
“We have studied the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses,” he said.
“We are prepared well to face Urawa, we will be representing Saudi Arabia in the final and we hope we will win.
“We are armed with confidence and enthusiasm and all the players are ready for the finals. Mohamed Kino participated in the training, while we will be determining whether or not he will be joining us on the field tomorrow,” he added.
The pre-game build-up will include a small ceremony organized by the AFC to celebrate the two teams.
Tickets sold out 5 minutes after being posted on the website, unsurprising given the huge importance of the game game for both sets of fans.
Urawa ready to attack in AFC Champions League final, Al-Hilal confident of victory
Urawa ready to attack in AFC Champions League final, Al-Hilal confident of victory
- Whoever wins this year’s edition will level South Korea’s Pohang’s record of three titles
- Tickets sold out 5 minutes after being posted on the website
Patrick Habirora headlines PFL Brussels at Ing Arena in May
- PFL returns on May 23 with ‘The Belgian Bomber’ facing MMA legend Benson ‘Smooth’ Henderson
NEW YORK: The Professional Fighters League returns to the ING Arena on Saturday, May 23, for PFL Brussels, with Belgium’s No. 10-ranked welterweight Patrick “The Belgian Bomber” Habirora (8-0) facing former UFC champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson (30-12).
Habirora has seven victories coming by way of KO or TKO. He silenced doubters last December at PFL Lyon against his toughest test to date, Kevin Jousset.
A thunderous first-round knockout followed by relentless ground-and-pound sent the Lyon crowd into a frenzy and left many wondering how far he can go in MMA.
A former WEC and UFC champion, “Smooth” is a 20-year veteran and remains one of the most accomplished athletes of his era. Henderson has beaten Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar (twice), and Jorge Masvidal.
Recently sharpening his tools across grappling, karate, wrestling and boxing, Henderson now returns to MMA determined to prove his championship pedigree.
Upcoming PFL Schedule:
- Friday, March 20: PFL Madrid, Palacio Vistalegre, Madrid, Spain.
- Saturday, March 28: PFL Pittsburgh, UPMC Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Saturday, April 11: PFL Chicago, Wintrust Arena, Chicago, Illinois.
- Thursday, April 16: PFL Belfast, SSE Arena Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
- Saturday, May 2: PFL Sioux Falls, Sanford Pentagon: Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
- Saturday, May 23: PFL Brussels, ING Arena, Brussels, Belgium.
