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Yokohama strike late to deny gritty Al Ain in Asian Champions League final first leg

Rival coaches Kewell and Crespo were meeting for the first tine in almost 20 years after facing each other as players in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul

Published: Sat 11 May 2024, 5:55 PM

Updated: Sat 11 May 2024, 6:05 PM

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Ain's Emirati defender Khalid al-Hashemi (centre R) jumps to clear the ball for a corner kick during the AFC Champions League final first leg match againstJapan's Yokohama F. Marinos at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. - AFP

Ain's Emirati defender Khalid al-Hashemi (centre R) jumps to clear the ball for a corner kick during the AFC Champions League final first leg match againstJapan's Yokohama F. Marinos at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. - AFP

Harry Kewell's Yokohama F-Marinos fought back to claim a narrow Asian Champions League final advantage over Hernan Crespo's Al Ain on Saturday with a 2-1 first-leg win in Japan.

Mohammed Abbas scored in the 12th minute for Al Ain but Yokohama's Asahi Uenaka levelled midway through the second half before substitute Kota Watanabe grabbed the winner six minutes from time.


The second leg will be played in the UAE in a fortnight's time.

Al Ahli coach Hernan Crespo's (L) and Yokohama's Harry Kewell, former professional football players,met again as coaches for the first time in 20 years. - AFP

Al Ahli coach Hernan Crespo's (L) and Yokohama's Harry Kewell, former professional football players,met again as coaches for the first time in 20 years. - AFP

Kewell and Crespo were meeting as coaches almost 20 years after facing each other as players in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul.

Crespo was part of the AC Milan side that took a 3-0 half-time lead before Kewell's Liverpool famously came back to draw 3-3 and then win on penalties.

Kewell has led Yokohama to their first Champions League final only four months after taking over at the Japanese club.

Al Ain are the UAE's most successful club and they are playing in the final for the fourth time, having won it in 2002 and reached the decider in 2005 and 2016.

Yokohama's Japanese player Kota Watanabe (centre R) celebrates his goal during the AFC Champions League final first leg football match against the UAE's Al Ain at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. - AFP

Yokohama's Japanese player Kota Watanabe (centre R) celebrates his goal during the AFC Champions League final first leg football match against the UAE's Al Ain at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, south of Tokyo. - AFP

Yokohama made a bright start in front of almost 55,000 home fans and Elber and Yan Matheus both had attempts at goal within the first five minutes.

But Al Ain threw a spanner in the works with the opening goal just over five minutes later when Abbas stuffed home the rebound after goalkeeper William Popp had denied Soufiane Rahimi.

The UAE side thought they had scored a second in the 30th minute when Matias Palacios fired the ball between Popp's legs, only for a VAR check to rule it out for offside.

Yokohama had several chances to get back on level terms and Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa had to tip a Takuya Kida shot onto the crossbar with one of them.

Nam Tae-hee then missed a gilt-edged opportunity in first-half injury time with the goal at his mercy.

Yokohama were much scrappier in the second half but they got their equaliser when Matheus's cross picked out Uenaka to head home in the 72nd minute.

Yokohama substitute Watanabe put the ball in the net again in the 84th minute only to be flagged for offside.

But the goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check, giving Yokohama a precious lead to take into the second leg.



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