Takasaki stunner for Antlers puts brakes on Evergrande
Print Edition
SUBSTITUTE Hiroyuki Takasaki scored with the last touch of the game as Kashima Antlers put Guangzhou Evergrande’s AFC Champions League title bid on hold with a 2-1 win yesterday.
Takasaki nodded home a 93rd-minute free-kick to hand the struggling Japanese side a lifeline and inflict a first Asian defeat on Fabio Cannavaro’s Guangzhou.
Winless Kashima had been facing possible elimination, while a fourth straight victory would have put Guangzhou into the last 16 as it bids for a second Asian title.
But Takasaki’s glancing header from Gaku Shibasaki’s free-kick stunned the Chinese champion and left home fans weeping tears of joy at a rocking Kashima stadium.
Also in Group H, title-holders Western Sydney Wanderers were lucky to escape with a 1-1 draw against FC Seoul after a late goal-line controversy.
Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic did brilliantly to parry a goal-bound volley in injury time but as he landed, he appeared to drag the loose ball over the line.
Goal-line technology has been introduced to the Premier League and the World Cup but it is not yet used in Asia’s premier club competition.
Go Yo-han had cancelled out Kerem Bulut’s opener and despite a late penalty shout from Tomi Juric, Wanderers coach Tony Popovic cut a relieved figure after the game.
Gone either way
“You have to take your chances at this level, and in the end it was a bit scary, it could have gone either way,” he said.
The results leave Guangzhou top of Group H on nine points, four clear of the Wanderers and FC Seoul, with Kashima still alive on three and with two more rounds of games to go.
Six-goal hero Ricardo Goulart led Guangzhou to three wins in a row but the Brazilian left his scoring boots at home as Kashima went ahead through an early Yasushi Endo penalty. It wasn’t until the 75th minute that Brazilian forward Elkeson put Guangzhou level with a sweeping, left-footed volley from a chipped cross delivered by Gao Lin.
But Kashima showed the greater endeavor and composure and Takasaki, introduced in the 77th minute, seized his chance as he directed his header past goalkeeper Li Shuai.
Elsewhere, Gamba Osaka beat Thailand’s Buriram United 2-1 to leave Group F finely poised heading into the final two rounds of pool matches.
Seongnam FC fought to a 0-0 stalemate with Guangzhou R&F to leave all four sides in the group separated by only three points.
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