Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Guangzhou: Striker Takashi Usami is convinced Gamba Osaka’s fighting spirit can help the 2008 winners overcome China’s Guangzhou Evergrande in Wednesday’s AFC Champions League semi-final first leg at Tianhe Sport Centre Stadium.
Usami was forced to watch from the stands last week due to suspension as Japanese treble-winners Gamba snatched a 3-2 win over Korean champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors thanks to Koki Yonekura’s stoppage time strike having been heading out of the tournament after conceding with two minutes of normal time remaining.
And late goals have been something of a trend for the J.League side in the AFC Champions League this season, which is Gamba’s best since landing the continental title in 2008, after securing vital wins over Thailand’s Buriram United and Korea Republic’s Seongnam FC in similar fashion.
“The team is definitely in a good mood now, and we have continuously had matches where we play hard until the last minute and this has given us a lot of confidence to fight until the end,” said 23-year-old Japan international Usami, who netted twice in the Round of 16 success over FC Seoul.
“I was so excited when the pass from Kim Jung-ya reached Yonekura and then he went through on goal to score, but as a footballer, I wanted to be on the pitch myself.
“In the next match, I want to show how I can contribute to the team and help us go to the final.”
Huang Bowen: Experience key for Guangzhou Evergrande
Standing in the way of a place in the continental showpiece for the former Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim striker and his team-mates, though, are 2013 winners Guangzhou.
The Chinese Super League champions secured their place in the semi-finals after beating Gamba’s compatriots Kashiwa Reysol 4-2 on aggregate, and Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side now boast a formidable unbeaten streak in all competitions that stretches back to the end of May.
“Guangzhou are one of the best team in Asia and they will be coming at us hard seeking for the win,” added Usami.
“It’s going to be a seesaw match and a tough one. We’ll have to stay focused and play until the last minute with a strong will to win.
“I’m not sure that it’s necessarily an advantage that we’ll have the second leg at home, but the fact that we could make it to the final in front of our home supporters does make us more determined and feel encouraged.”
Although Usami is once more available for selection, Gamba coach Kenta Hasegawa will again be denied the services of one of his starters as centre-back Daiki Niwa will miss out due to a suspension of his own after picking up a second yellow card of the knockout stage against Jeonbuk last week.
“We’ll have to unite as a team and work hard against Guangzhou, who are a strong team,” said Hasegawa.
“They are very organised and have a solid system, so I expect there to be few chances in the match for both teams, and we’ll need to take them when they come our way.
“It was a huge win against Jeonbuk, a great result for Gamba. We will need to take advantage of this great result and take the momentum to the next match in the semi-final.”
Three weeks after the clash in southern China, the teams will move onto the return meeting in Osaka with either last year’s runners-up Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia or Al Ahli from the United Arab Emirates awaiting in the final.
Two-time Asian champions Al Hilal host Al Ahli, who are making their first appearance in the semi-final stage, at Riyadh’s King Fahd International Stadium on Tuesday ahead of the return fixture three weeks later at Rashid Stadium in Dubai.
Photo: WSG