Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Kashiwa: Coach Tatsuma Yoshida conceded Kashiwa Reysol were beaten by the best team remaining in the AFC Champions League after the J.League side lost Tuesday’s quarter-final first leg 3-1 to China’s Guangzhou Evergrande at Hitachi Kashiwa Stadium.
Kashiwa, who had only previously lost once in the AFC Champions League this season at the end of the group stage with qualification already secured, found themselves behind after just five minute as captain Daisuke Suzuki headed into his own net.
A stunning free-kick from Guangzhou’s Brazilian midfielder Paulinho before half-time and header from China striker Gao Lin at the start of the second half further extended the visitors’ lead before Masato Kudo netted a last minute consolation for Kashiwa ahead of next month’s second leg.
Match report: Kashiwa Reysol 1-3 Guangzhou Evergrande
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“The result shows that there is a real difference between the two teams, but although we lost the game, we will try our best to get a better result in the second leg,” said Kashiwa coach Yoshida.
“Guangzhou are the strongest team left in the last eight and I don’t think my team played badly, we created chances but we were unable to finish well, but those mistakes are good to help the progress of the team in the future.”
The result brought back memories of Kashiwa’s 4-1 defeat by Guangzhou in the 2013 semi-finals which eventually saw the Chinese side post an 8-1 aggregate victory en route to winning the AFC Champions League title for the first time.
Tuesday’s loss, though, was somewhat surprising with Kashiwa having won six of their last seven J.League outings although Yoshida was without regulars Hidekazu Otani and Naoki Wako due to injury.
“I didn’t expect to concede three goals from set-pieces like this,” added Yoshida, who had seen his side win Group E having qualified from the play-offs before beating Korea Republic’s Suwon Samsung in May’s Round of 16.
“I didn’t change much at half-time, but I made some substitutions in the second half. This was not to blame the players, we just needed to change.
“There was no reason Ederson did not start, that was my decision. And also the selection of Yuta Nakayama is not related to the loss.”
Photo: WSG