Kota Watanabe of Yokohama F. Marinos celebrates after scoring a goal during the first leg of the AFC Champions League final football match between Al Ain and Yokohama F. Marinos in Yokohama on Saturday.
9:19 JST, May 12, 2024
YOKOHAMA (AP) — Yokohama F.Marinos came from behind to take a lead in the first leg of the Asian Champions League final, beating Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates 2-1 on Saturday.
Kota Watanabe scored the winner in the 84th minute after Asahi Uenaka headed the hosts back level in the second half. Yokohama controlled most of the match at Nissan Stadium after conceding an early goal to Mohammed Al-Baloushi.
The second stage is on May 25 in Al-Ain.
Yokohama coach Harry Kewell takes nothing for granted: he was part of the Liverpool team that came back from a 3-0 defeat by AC Milan in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final to lift the trophy in Istanbul to tow.
“I know in this match that it can be taken away from you so quickly,” said the Australian, who took over the Yokohama job in December and has led the team to its first-ever final. “We have to understand that there are still 90 minutes to play and that it will be very difficult. They can enjoy the moment, but there is still a long way to go in this tie.”
Al-Ain coach Hernan Crespo was on the other side in 2005, scoring twice for Milan.
“Today was not easy because their fans were shouting and supporting their team,” the Argentinian said. “In two weeks it will be the opposite. We must take advantage of that. We believe we can do it.”
Al-Ain, the 2003 champions and defeated finalists in 2005 and 2016, started to take the lead after just twelve minutes.
Tournament top scorer Soufiane Rahimi beat Eduardo outside the area and as the Moroccan was denied a twelfth goal by goalkeeper William Popp, Al-Baloushi was on hand to bury the rebound.
The home fans were silenced again after half an hour when Matias Palacios put the ball in the net, but the Argentine midfielder was ruled offside after a video review.
Crespo had goalkeeper Khalid Eisa to thank at half-time, who kept his team ahead with some great saves.
Yokohama’s pressure in the second half finally paid off after 72 minutes. Yan Matheus crossed from the right and Uenaka rose high at the far post to send a bouncing header past the diving Eisa.
With six minutes to go, former Arsenal winger Ryo Miyaichi’s shot from the left was headed in from close range at the near post by Watanabe. Although the strike was initially ruled out for offside, the goal was quickly awarded after video review.
