Kashiwa confident and Ghalenoei promises to attack
SEOUL, South Korea // Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol and Iran’s Esteghlal will have to make history in the second-leg games of the Asian Champions League semi-finals if they are to prevent Chinese and South Korean titans Guangzhou Evergrande and FC Seoul from reaching the final.
No team since the current format of the tournament started, in 2003, has overcome a semi-final first-leg deficit of more than one goal to reach the final, but that is the challenge facing Kashiwa and Esteghlal.
Kashiwa are in the worst situation after losing 4-1 at home to Chinese champions Guangzhou last week.
“I know the return leg will be a difficult one for us, but I also think that we still have the possibility to go to the next round,” said Nelsinho, Kashiwa’s Brazilian coach.
“I’ve seen some cases when a team has turned around the situation for their favour in a similar situation. Bearing that in our mind, we will prepare for our return leg.”
It would be a major shock. Big-spending Guangzhou, led by Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi, are expected to become the first Chinese team to win the tournament. The Italian coach, appointed in May 2012, also wants to become the first coach to win both Europe’s Champions League and its Asian counterpart.
Guangzhou need to win just one of their remaining five games in the Chinese Super League to clinch a third successive domestic title.
“I don’t think we have got [a place in the final] yet,” Lippi said. “I’m 64 years old this year and have been in the coaching business for 30 years, and from that experience, I can tell that you that you never know what will happen next in football, and Reysol have ability and were a tough side to play this time.”
Esteghlal are the only west Asian representatives. The two-time continental champions lost 2-0 at Seoul in the first leg.
The situation is retrievable at the 90,000 capacity Azadi Stadium in Tehran, but Esteghlal will be without midfielders Javad Nekounam and Andranik Teymourian, who are suspended after picking up yellow cards in Korea.
“In Tehran we can score two goals,” said coach Amir Ghalenoei. “We will attack a lot and we will play to the best of our abilities in the second match.”
* Associated Press
Matches on Al Jazeera Sport
