NEWS
ACL final 1st match vs Al Hilal "Take home the away goal and head to the 2nd match at Saitama Stadium"
On the 29th, Urawa Reds played away to King Fahd International Stadium in the AFC Champions League (ACL) 2022 Knockout Stage Final Round 1 against Al Hilal.
Although the Reds conceded the first half, they continued to focus on fighting and Shinzo Koroki scored a goal in the second half to equalize and finish the first leg at 1-1.
The first match of the final kicked off at the stadium wrapped in an overwhelming away atmosphere. Despite conceding an early goal in the 13th minute, the Reds players showed no sign of despondency. Their well-balanced and organized defence prevented Al-Hilal from creating chances for another goal, and the irregular bounce of the ball made the pitch confusing at times, but they kept their composure and dealt with it.
And after stealing the ball, aim for the goal with an attack that quickly pierces the space. With Koroki playing a leading role up front, Hiroki Sakai and Atsuki Ito took the ball with a positive attitude, creating a scene that could have been a decisive opportunity.
He also scored a shot from a set-piece amidst the cheers of Reds fans and supporters, who had gathered nearly 700 people who had rushed to the away ground far from Japan.
In the second half, after kicking off from the ball, they launched a vigorous attack from the start. While pressing more aggressively than in the first half, they aimed to tie the score.
And it was the 52nd minute when the Reds' fans and supporters cheered as much as the Al-Hilal fans and supporters booed. After connecting the pass from the back line, Ken Iwao played a vertical pass from the long ball and the victory in the competition, and Tomoaki Okubo received the through ball in the center. This was deflected by the opponent, but when the ball hit the left post directly and fell in front of the goal, Korogi, who was running in front of the goal to receive Okubo's pass, Koroki. Pushed with his left foot earlier than the sliding opponent, he scored the oldest goal in the club's history in the ACL and a valuable away goal.
After the score was tied, the offense and defense changed violently. In the offense, substitutes Jose Kante and Kaito Yasui also got involved and worked together to aim for the goal.In defense, everyone, including Shusaku Nishikawa, who responded stably to shots and crosses, bounced back the opponent's attack.
At the end of the game, the Reds players continued to fight as a team while making further substitutions. In the 86th minute, Iwao received a yellow card for a foul play, but the opponent was sent off due to rough play. In addition to gaining a numerical advantage in this game, the player who started in the first game was suspended in the second game.
Although they were unable to turn the tables in the end, the Reds players continued to fight until the very end, repelling attacks from Al-Hilal, who were aiming for victory at home. As a result of a draw with an away goal, the team returned to Saitama Stadium.
The next match will be AFC Champions League 2022 Knockout Stage Final Round 2 against Al-Hilal, which will be held at Saitama Stadium from 18:00 on Saturday 6 May.
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
Although the Reds conceded the first half, they continued to focus on fighting and Shinzo Koroki scored a goal in the second half to equalize and finish the first leg at 1-1.
The first match of the final kicked off at the stadium wrapped in an overwhelming away atmosphere. Despite conceding an early goal in the 13th minute, the Reds players showed no sign of despondency. Their well-balanced and organized defence prevented Al-Hilal from creating chances for another goal, and the irregular bounce of the ball made the pitch confusing at times, but they kept their composure and dealt with it.
And after stealing the ball, aim for the goal with an attack that quickly pierces the space. With Koroki playing a leading role up front, Hiroki Sakai and Atsuki Ito took the ball with a positive attitude, creating a scene that could have been a decisive opportunity.
He also scored a shot from a set-piece amidst the cheers of Reds fans and supporters, who had gathered nearly 700 people who had rushed to the away ground far from Japan.
In the second half, after kicking off from the ball, they launched a vigorous attack from the start. While pressing more aggressively than in the first half, they aimed to tie the score.
And it was the 52nd minute when the Reds' fans and supporters cheered as much as the Al-Hilal fans and supporters booed. After connecting the pass from the back line, Ken Iwao played a vertical pass from the long ball and the victory in the competition, and Tomoaki Okubo received the through ball in the center. This was deflected by the opponent, but when the ball hit the left post directly and fell in front of the goal, Korogi, who was running in front of the goal to receive Okubo's pass, Koroki. Pushed with his left foot earlier than the sliding opponent, he scored the oldest goal in the club's history in the ACL and a valuable away goal.
After the score was tied, the offense and defense changed violently. In the offense, substitutes Jose Kante and Kaito Yasui also got involved and worked together to aim for the goal.In defense, everyone, including Shusaku Nishikawa, who responded stably to shots and crosses, bounced back the opponent's attack.
At the end of the game, the Reds players continued to fight as a team while making further substitutions. In the 86th minute, Iwao received a yellow card for a foul play, but the opponent was sent off due to rough play. In addition to gaining a numerical advantage in this game, the player who started in the first game was suspended in the second game.
Although they were unable to turn the tables in the end, the Reds players continued to fight until the very end, repelling attacks from Al-Hilal, who were aiming for victory at home. As a result of a draw with an away goal, the team returned to Saitama Stadium.
The next match will be AFC Champions League 2022 Knockout Stage Final Round 2 against Al-Hilal, which will be held at Saitama Stadium from 18:00 on Saturday 6 May.
[Urawa Reds Official Media (URD:OM)]
