Former winners Ulsan stare down Asian Champions League elimination
Feb 10 (Reuters) - Japanese trio Yokohama F Marinos, Vissel Kobe and Kawasaki Frontale can all confirm their progress to the last 16 of the Asian Champions League Elite this week as former champions Ulsan Hyundai face the prospect of an early exit.
The east Asian league phase resumes after a two-month break with Ulsan, winners in 2012 and 2020, travelling to Thailand to take on Buriram United on Wednesday needing a victory to keep their slim hopes of advancing alive.
Hong Myung-bo's side sit in 11th place in the 12-team standings with three points, five adrift of eighth-placed Buriram and the final qualifying berth for the knockout rounds with two matches remaining.
The top eight finishers in both west and east Asia advance to the next phase, with the round of 16 to be played in March before a centralised finals round to be held in Saudi Arabia in April and May.
Back-to-back J-League champions Vissel Kobe will entertain Chinese Super League title holders Shanghai Port on Tuesday knowing a draw would be enough to confirm their progress.
Kobe go into the game against Kevin Muscat's team off the back of a 2-0 loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Saturday's Japan Super Cup while Kawasaki Frontale travel to South Korea to face Pohang Steelers under new coach Shigetoshi Hasebe.
Second-placed Gwangju FC of South Korea, making their debut in the competition, take on Chinese hosts Shandong Taishan also needing a point to qualify as Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim face already eliminated Central Coast Mariners in Gosford.
Marinos lead the standings after six rounds with 13 points and go into their meeting with Shanghai Shenhua on Wednesday also under new management.
New boss Steve Holland previously worked as Gareth Southgate's assistant with England and was appointed in December to replace interim coach John Hutchison, who had temporarily taken over from Harry Kewell.
It was under Kewell that the J-League outfit reached the final of last season's competition, where they missed out on their first Asian title to Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates over two legs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Opelka upsets Medvedev to reach semis in Den Bosch
'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands, June 13 (Reuters) - American lucky loser Reilly Opelka put up an intense battle to stun top seed Daniil Medvedev 7-6(5) 7-6(5) and reach the Libema Open semi-finals in Den Bosch on Friday. Medvedev, who on Thursday edged a first set tiebreak against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, hit three double faults in the second set tiebreak and five overall, compared to no such error by Opelka, who also hit 24 aces. The 2021 U.S. Open champion, currently ranked 11th in the world, needed to match or better Ben Shelton's result in Stuttgart this week to return to Top 10 on Monday. The American, ranked 12th, will beat him to it after he overcame Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4 6-4 to advance to the Stuttgart semi-finals. Former Wimbledon junior champion Opelka will contest a an ATP grasscourt semi-final for the second time in his career having reached the same stage at Newport last year. He will face Estonian qualifier Mark Lajal or Belgium's Zizou Bergs on Saturday for a spot in the final. French second seed Ugo Humbert will play Canadian Gabriel Diallo in the other semi. Diallo knocked out third seed Karen Khachanov 7-6(6) 6-4 while the Frenchman eliminated Portuguese Nuno Borges, seeded seventh, 6-1 6-4. In the women's draw, second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova came from a set down to beat Veronika Kudermetova 5-7 6-4 6-2. In the semi-finals, she will face Belgian third seed Elise Mertens, who ousted China's Yue Yuan 6-0 6-4. Romanian qualifier Elena-Gabriela Ruse upset Canadian wildcard Bianca Andreescu 6-2 6-4 and will face Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Zverev sets up Stuttgart semi-final with impressive Shelton, Fritz also through
June 13 (Reuters) - Top seed and home favourite Alexander Zverev beat Brandon Nakashima 7-5 6-4 to advance to the semi-finals of the Stuttgart Open on Friday while Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton also reached the last four. Zverev is seeking his first grasscourt title and he was involved in a tight opening set which was tied at 5-5 when the German switched gears in the final two games to clinch it. But Zverev was far more dominant against his American opponent in the second set as he finished the match with 31 winners in a contest that lasted 90 minutes. "I'm in the semi-finals now and now I really want to focus on trying to do the best I can," Zverev said. "I know the opponents are going to get tougher but I'm really happy on the court right now I'm really happy in Stuttgart and I'm looking forward to the next two days." Zverev will play third seed Shelton next after the American, who was virtually unstoppable on his first serve, beat Jiri Lehecka 6-4 6-4, firing 18 aces. Shelton was so dominant in the second set that he did not lose a single point on serve while he won 100% of his first-serve points in the match, with victory ensuring he will break into the top 10 for the first time in his career. Marton Fucsovics had beaten Fritz in straight sets in Stuttgart two years ago but this time the American, who has yet to drop a set at the tournament, came out on top in a dominant 6-3 6-4 victory. Although Fritz was involved in some long baseline rallies, he relied on his serve, sending 12 aces past the Hungarian to set up a semi-final clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime, who beat the 17-year-old German Justin Engel 7-6(3) 6-3. Engel had claimed his first professional victory on grass earlier this week when he beat James Duckworth, following it up with an upset win over seventh seed Alex Michelsen, but beating Auger-Aliassime proved to be a step too far for the teenager. "His serve was so incredibly good today that I felt pressure in my own service games," Engel said. "But it was great fun playing in front of this crowd again. I can't wait to play here again next year."
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Milner extends Brighton contract with Premier League appearances record in sight
June 13 (Reuters) - James Milner has agreed a one-year contract extension with Brighton & Hove Albion, the south-coast club said on Friday, as the 39-year-old eyes the all-time record for appearances in the Premier League. Milner, who made his Premier League bow as a 16-year-old for Leeds United in 2002, was restricted to just four league appearances in the 2024-25 campaign due to an injury in August, taking his overall tally to 638 Premier League games. But Milner, who will celebrate his 40th birthday in January, now has the chance to overhaul Gareth Barry's record of 653 Premier League games. "I'm really pleased we will have James with us again this season," head coach Fabian Huerzeler said in a statement. "Last season he wasn't able to help the team on the pitch as much as he would have liked, but around the squad his experience is invaluable, especially for the younger players. "He's a great guy to have in our environment, who is always there for me and the team. I'm looking forward to working with him again." Brighton finished eighth in the standings last season, missing out on European qualification.
