Sports
Asian Champions League: Japan’s Urawa beat Al Hilal to title
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@J_League_En/ Twitter
Urawa Red Diamonds have claimed the Asian Champions League title for the third time.
Andre Carrillo’s own goal earned the Japanese side a 1-0 victory over defending champions Al-Hilal on Saturday and a 2-1 aggregate win.
Carrillo’s error three minutes into the second half swung the tie in Urawa’s favour despite Al-Hilal dominating for lengthy periods before the Japanese side added the crown to the titles they won in 2007 and 2017.
“Today we are very happy that, after a few months working hard, thinking about this game, we are winning this trophy for the fantastic supporters at this huge club,” Urawa coach Maciej Skorza said.
“This is a big honour for me and it’s just amazing. It’s difficult to find a way to describe this win.
“I feel the spirit of the support and it’s something special. What I can say, today was not easy for us on the pitch. Very often we were struggling but we were playing with one more player.”
Urawa held the upper hand going into the second leg at Saitama Stadium after Shinzo Koroki’s equaliser last Saturday had earned his team an away goal in the 1-1 draw in Riyadh.
The Saudis, missing the suspended Salem Al Dawsari and injured Salman Al Faraj, dominated the opening 45 minutes of the second leg, with Urawa’s Alexander Scholz forced to clear Odion Ighalo’s early effort off the line.
Goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa was called on to make saves to deny Brazilian winger Michael and Carrillo in a nervous opening for the hosts.
But it was Urawa who went closest to breaking the deadlock when Koroki’s flying volley crashed against the crossbar as the striker emerged unmarked in the penalty area to meet Hiroki Sakai’s inviting cross from the right.
Three minutes into the second half Urawa did go ahead, Carrillo putting into his own net after Marius Hoibraten’s wind-assisted header across goal caused panic in the Al-Hilal defence to delight the majority in the 53,574 crowd.
Jose Kante and Kaito Yasui went close to scoring a second for the home side only for their efforts to sail wide of Abdullah Al Muaiouf’s goal.
Al-Hilal, aiming for a record-extending fifth Asian crown, were denied the opportunity to take the game into extra-time in the 90th minute when Nishikawa reacted to push away Igahlo’s goal-bound effort as Urawa held on.
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