Kawasaki down Ronaldo's Al Nassr to book ACL final
JEDDAH: Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr were dumped out of the Asian Champions League Elite as Japan's Kawasaki Frontale spectacularly ripped up the script with a 3-2 semifinal victory on Wednesday to reach the continental final for the first time.
The big-spending Saudi Pro League team succumbed in Jeddah when Yuto Ozeki and Akihiro Ienaga struck after Sadio Mane's deflected effort in the 28th minute had cancelled out Tatsuya Ito's 10th-minute opener for the J-League side.
Aiman Yahya scored from distance with three minutes left for Al Nassr to set up a tense finish but Frontale held on.
Kawasaki will next face Al Ahli, another Saudi side boasting a squad packed with high-profile foreign internationals, in the final on Saturday with both clubs looking to win their maiden continental crown.
"It was a very difficult game but the players were able to show their best performance on the pitch," said Frontale coach Shigetoshi Hasebe. "We're showing what we've been building since pre-season and I'm happy with that."
Underdogs Kawasaki, who had needed extra time to defeat Qatar's Al Sadd in the quarterfinals on Sunday, made an encouraging start, with Marcinho outmuscling Marcelo Brozovic to win possession 35 yards from goal before shooting wide.
Four minutes later Hasebe's outfit had taken an unexpected lead.
Ozeki's pass to the left found Marcinho and, after the forward's centre was headed towards the edge of the area by defender Mohamed Simakan, the unmarked Ito lashed a first-time volley into the top corner to stun the Saudi fans.
Al Nassr struggled to find their rhythm in the opening stages, a Jhon Duran shot that flew high and wide after he was fed by Ronaldo in the 18th minute was a rare sight of goal for Stefano Pioli's side.
That changed when Mane levelled the scores, the former Liverpool man benefitting from a slight deflection off the shoulder of Yuichi Maruyama that took his right-foot shot past Kawasaki goalkeeper Louis Yamaguchi.
Ronaldo then rattled the frame of the goal with a header moments after sending an overhead effort wide of the target as Al Nassr started to take control of proceedings.
But with four minutes left in the half Kawasaki reclaimed the lead through the doggedness of Ito, whose determined running unsettled the Al Nassr defence. While Bento saved the winger's close-range shot, Ozeki calmly converted the rebound.
Frontale's decisive third came 14 minutes from time after Erison drove along the Al Nassr byline to set up fellow substitute Ienaga to strike.
Yahya thumped home Al Nassr's second in the 87th minute before Yamaguchi twice denied an increasingly desperate Ronaldo in injury time as Kawasaki claimed a famous win. — Reuters
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