Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kashima: Kashima Antlers coach Toninho Cerezo insists the J.League side have achieved nothing despite a stoppage time header from substitute Hiroyuki Takasaki securing a crucial 2-1 win over Group H leaders Guangzhou Evergrande in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.
Takasaki headed home with the last touch of the game at Kashima Soccer Stadium after Guangzhou’s Brazilian striker Elkeson had cancelled out Yasushi Endo’s first half penalty with 16 minutes remaining.
And with the win representing Kashima’s first points of the campaign following three defeats including last month’s 4-3 loss in China, Cerezo’s side are now just two points behind second place duo Western Sydney Wanderers and FC Seoul with two games remaining and in the hunt for a place in the last 16 for the first time since 2011.
Match report: Kashima Antlers 2-1 Guangzhou Evergrande
“We’ve got this win as we fought hard through to the end, believing in ourselves. That is our never give up to the end spirit, our club tradition, and we showed that in today’s game,” said Cerezo, with Kashima set to face defending champions Western Sydney in Australia in two weeks’ time.
“Our hard work brought this result. Also, the quality of the Guangzhou players raised the standard of the game after the two sides displayed high quality football.
“This is a big win for us, however, we haven’t got anything yet. Before heading to Australia for our next game, we will have to play a league game. All we have to do is to take one game at a time and play hard in every one of them. There is no point in thinking ahead too much.
“The important thing is that our players have something in their heart that they want to do something. That helps them play for the team, and with that attitude, I believe that we can produce good results. It’s important to have the continuity and keep on working.”
Last month’s win over Kashima had left 2013 winners Guangzhou with a 100% record after three games, but after suffering a second consecutive defeat in all competitions, Fabio Cannavaro’s side have seen their lead at the top of the table cut to four points.
“It has been difficult for us as we have many injured players. I don’t want to say that the results came from the luck, but in football you can score three goals out of three shots you hit but sometimes you can score one goal out of four attempts,” said Guangzhou coach Cannavaro.
“We had to come from behind after we gave away a lead to our opponents on a penalty in the first half, and that made our game difficult. But I still believe in our players and hope they can keep calm and get better. We can improve the situation by making efforts, and our team is developing every day. We lost but I am hoping that we still get a good result in the end.
“It was a lack of concentration. A team who gets used to winning tends to loosen up their defense sometimes, and it is important to make a good preparation to go into a game. By doing so, we can fix our problems in defense, too.”
Photo: WSG