Beijing Guoan 2-0 Kawasaki Frontale

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Wednesday, 28th April 2010 (19:30 kick off)
Venue: Workers Stadium
Attendance: 40,000

Scoresheet:

GRIFFITHS 26' ERIVALDO 47'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA (yellow card 38')
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA
MF NAKAMURA
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by KIMURA 59')
MF TASAKA
MF VITOR JUNIOR(replaced by KUSUKAMI 71')
FW KUROTSU
FW RENATINHO (replaced by NOBORIZATO 39')

Comment:

It's official - the 2010 ACL campaign has died a death. And sadly it went with a whimper rather than a bang.

Frontale actually started quite brightly. The hosts looked nervy and Taniguchi, Ito and Tasaka all spurned good chances to take the lead.

But it was Beijing who went ahead midway through the first half, countering quickly after a poorly delivered Vitor free-kick. There were echoes of Saturday's match against Kobe as Frontale found themselves badly under-staffed at the back, allowing Australian striker Joel Griffiths too much time and space to pull down a cross-field pass and prod a cool finish past Eiji.

As usual, conceding against the run of play left Frontale rattled. All of a sudden, they were struggling to string two passes together and the Chinese were evidently growing in confidence.

Things soon got even worse for the visitors when Renatinho had to leave the field with what is hopefully nothing too serious.

The half-time break gave coach Takahata a chance to rally his troops. But the malaise that had seeped into their game before the interval continued into the second half.

Within minutes of the restart Beijing had doubled their lead. The big, bald Brazilian, Erivaldo, managed to steal in behind a disorganised defensive line. He then calmly took the ball round Eiji and slotted into an empty net, leaving Frontale with a mountain to climb.

The home team sat back for the remaining 40 minutes, content to defend their lead. It's a sad indictment on Frontale that, despite dominating possession, they failed to trouble the Beijing keeper with anything but speculative long-range efforts until the dying minutes of the game.

Make no mistake, Beijing are not a great side. But they took their chances and defended their lead stubbornly.

As for Frontale, their passing was simply atrocious for a good hour in the middle of the game. Nor were they greatly assisted by Kurotsu, who struggled to hold up the ball in what increasingly became a lone striker role. How different might things have been had Chong Tese not picked up that silly red card against Melbourne?

All things considered, it's better to go out of a competition on (lack of) merit rather than through controversy. And let's be honest, given the results in previous games, it was a surprise to most that we were still in contention at this stage of the tournament.

Anyway, onwards and upwards. Just three more games til the World Cup break, during which the team really needs to consolidate its position near the top of the table. Who knows...might even have a fully-fit Juninho back by the time action resumes in July.

Group E - Final standings:

Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Seongnam Ilhwa FC (Q)	6	5	0	1	11	6	15
Beijing Guoan (Q)	6	3	1	2	7	5	10
Kawasaki Frontale	6	2	0	4	8	8	6
Melbourne Victory	6	1	2	4	3	10	4

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWSPjuuUiRc

Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 Seongnam Ilhwa FC

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Wednesday, 14th April 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 10,403

Scoresheet:

TANIGUCHI 04' TASAKA 21' RENATINHO 69' (pen.)

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF TERADA (yellow card 46')
DF ITO (yellow card 26')
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA '82)
MF TANIGUCHI
MF TASAKA (replaced by NAKAMURA 66')
FW KUROTSU
FW NOBORIZATO (replaced by VITOR JUNIOR 66')
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Too busy (lazy) to give a full report on this game, which is something I regret because this was classic Frontale. A scoreline of 10-4 would have been a better representation of just how exciting it was.

I don't even want to get started because there are too many layers to unwrap - a veritable Russian doll of a football match. But let it suffice to say a) The ACL campaign is (somehow) very much alive and well and now rests upon a victory in Beijing in two weeks time. And b) Kengo's back! (Check out the news feature linked to below. Match highlights are at the end).

Roll on Urawa!

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6sGYzF4pO0

Melbourne Victory 1-0 Kawasaki Frontale

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Wednesday, 31st March 2010 (19:30 kick off)
Venue: Etihad Stadium
Attendance: 6,011

Scoresheet:

MUSCAT 60' (pen.)

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA (yellow card 89')
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by KUSUKAMI 62')
MF TASAKA (replaced by KIMURA 90')
FW KUROTSU
FW NOBORIZATO (replace by VITOR JUNIOR '69)
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Well, I certainly didn't see that one coming. A combination of poor shooting, some outstanding saves from Mitch Langerak in the Melbourne goal and a decidedly pungent penalty call conspired to drive what must be a final nail in Frontale's ACL coffin.

It was always going to be a tougher proposition than the rout at Todoroki. A fresh Melbourne side showed much more hunger in midfield and their defence wasn't quite so porous with the experienced Kevin Muscat back in the fold.

Frontale for their part didn't look as sharp - unsurprisingly after the long journey. But despite a decent start by the home team, the visitors were back running the show by the middle of the first half.

Kyohei Noborizato was given a rare start in place of the suspended Chong Tese. The youngster certainly wasn't overawed by the occasion, but Chong's are big boots to fill and he was clearly missed.

Kurotsu played through the middle and had the best of the first-half chances. Breaking clear down the right, he cut inside Muscat who did just enough to unbalance the striker and take the fizz out of his shot. From the resulting corner it was Kurotsu again who rose highest, but his header was acrobatically tipped away by the keeper.

Frontale were getting a lot of possession around the edge of the Melbourne penalty area, but showed a lack of accuracy from mid-range as shot after mis-hit shot went ballooning over the crossbar.

In the second half, the visitors continued to work hard and press forward, but on 60 minutes the referee decided to throw a spanner in the works. Komiyama came across to get goal side of lone Melbourne striker Robbie Kruse and as the two went shoulder to shoulder Kruse collapsed in a heap. (To be fair to the player he looked as surprised as anyone that the penalty had been awarded.) Muscat stepped up and sent Eiji the wrong way and Melbourne into the lead.

Despite playing most of the remaining 30 minutes in the Melbourne half, Frontale were unable to find the back of the net. Langerak made a stunning save from Tasaka, palming his shot onto the woodwork. Then in the dying seconds he somehow managed to tip Renatinho's point-blank effort over the bar.

The young keeper certainly deserves his moment in the limelight, but Frontale's shooting was as much to blame, with a barrage of shots from around the edge of the area continuing to sail high and wide.

The highlight of the match, for me, was the appearance of Vitor Junior as a second-half sub. The diminutive Brazilian trickster has missed the best part of a year through injury, but looks to have lost none of his nifty footwork. It'll take him a while to recover full match fitness, but it's good to have some positive news from the physio's bench.

In the group's other game, Seongnam secured their qualification with a hard-fought 1-0 victory in Beijing. There's still a mathematical possibility that Frontale could steal that all-important second spot, but the chances of Melbourne taking the necessary points off the Chinese in the next round are slim at best.

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byy1VW157cw

Kawasaki Frontale 4-0 Melbourne Victory

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Tuesday, 23rd March 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 9,728

Scoresheet:

CHONG 03', KUROTSU 11', RENATINHO 22', TANIGUCHI 90'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF IGAWA (yellow card 21')
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (replaced by YOKOYAMA '78)
MF TANIGUCHI (yellow card 30')
MF TASAKA (replaced by KUSUKAMI 86')
FW KUROTSU (replaced by NOBORIZATO 90')
FW CHONG (yellow card 34', red card 45')
FW RENATINHO

Comment:

Bit of a delay getting this report up, but to be honest I wasn't sure what to make of the game.

Let's be frank - Melbourne were awful. They certainly have their excuses (and I'm sure next week's return fixture will be less one-sided). But for the first half of Tuesday night's encounter it was real amateur stuff from the Australians.

Renatinho is someone they'll need to deal with a lot better back in Oz. He was the star of the show, setting up Chong Tese for the first within minutes of kick-off and scoring the third with a fine solo effort.

Kurotsu's goal was a touch fortuitous as his flick-on from Tasaka's free kick looped just inside the top corner, giving the Melbourne keeper no chance. But the sheer ease with which Frontale were controlling possession and carving out opportunities was almost as embarrassing for the home fans as for the travelling support.

Had Chong not reacted so rashly to Grant Brebner's manhandling on the stroke of half time, it could (and should) have been a lot worse for the visitors. As it was, they were able to cope a little better against ten men in the second half. But it was only really after the arrival of substitutes Marvin Angulo and Matthew Foschini - who at least seemed less intent on giving the ball away - that Frontale were put under any pressure.

During their brief spell in the ascendancy, Nik Mrdja (who was on the end of a 5-0 Frontale thumping last season with Central Coast Mariners) missed two decent chances. But it would have been a travesty for the game to end with anything less than a four-goal margin. And it was captain Taniguchi who wrapped things up with a tap-in at the far post after a long ball from Kawashima to Renatinho had outwitted the beleaguered Melbourne defence.

Nice as it is to bounce back from a 4-0 defeat with a 4-0 victory, I'm not sure what Frontale can really take from this game. The important thing is that we finally have points on the board. And, with Seongnam beating Beijing 3-1 in the group's other game, that second qualification spot is suddenly looking a lot more attainable.

Huge game against S-Pulse on Saturday.

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PJayQyAQCc

Kawasaki Frontale 1-3 Beijing Guoan

Competition: AFC Champions League - Group E
Date: Tuesday, 9th March 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 6,606

Scoresheet:

KIKUCHI 40'

GRIFFITHS 36' WANG CHANGQING 65', 86'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF KIKUCHI
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA
MF INAMOTO (yellow card 57')
MF TANIGUCHI
MF TASAKA (replaced by KIMURA 88')
FW KUROTSU (replaced by NOBORIZATO 88')
FW CHONG
FW RENATINHO (replaced by YAJIMA '70)

Comment:

Well that was a difficult game to watch. And not just because it's nigh-on impossible to see a white ball on a pitch that's 6 inches deep in snow.

On the whole, Frontale didn't actually play too badly (if you ignore the lack of composure in the final third and the tendency to leave themselves exposed at the back). You could always point to the injury list and the freak weather conditions as excuses. But in fairness, it was simply yet another example of what happens when you don't take your chances.

Beijing opened the scoring with what may well have been their first shot of the match. Frontale lost a couple of 50-50 midfield challenges in quick succession which suddenly left Ito exposed to a foot race against Australian striker Joel Griffiths. No prizes for guessing who won, and the former Socceroo calmly slotted his shot under big Eiji.

Frontale's response was almost immediate - Kikuchi getting some kind of touch on a Tasaka corner to settle the freezing home fans' nerves.

Frontale continued their dominance at the start of the second half. Renatinho came closest, hitting the outside of the post from a tight angle. But again, just when it looked like they might find a way through Beijing's stubborn defence, they were punished on the break.

This time Kikuchi got back well to prevent a shot from Brazilian speedster Otto. But Ito seemed to lose his bearings and left half-time substitute Wang Yongqing free at the edge of the box to send a low shot into the far corner.

This second goal seemed to knock the wind out of Frontale's sails and the visitors began to enjoy their first real spell of extended pressure. Renatinho made way for Yajima and the troops eventually managed to regroup with around ten minutes remaining.

But the result was put beyond doubt in the dying minutes when super-sub Wang Yongqing evaded an increasingly flimsy offside trap and chipped a deft lob over the stranded Kawashima. The snow played its part, taking the pace off the through-ball and practically teeing it up for the lob. But in reality the game was already lost.

It's still early days, but it's pretty difficult to be optimistic about the ACL at this stage. Frontale have a six-point gap to close in four games, the last of which is away to to Beijing. And while there's no suggestion that they've been outclassed in either of their Group E encounters so far, it's hard to see them showing the levels of consistency for what will need to be a near-100% record from their remaining fixtures.

Highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shqSrWL1i80

Seongnam Ilhwa FC 2-0 Kawasaki Frontale

Competition: AFC Champions League (Group E)
Date: Tuesday, 23rd February 2010 (19:00 kick off)
Venue: Tancheon Sports Complex
Attendance:

Scoresheet:

MOLINA 34' RADONCIC 78'

Teamsheet:

GK KAWASHIMA
DF MORI
DF TERADA (yellow card 60')
DF ITO
DF KOMIYAMA (yellow card 69')
MF INAMOTO
MF TANIGUCHI (replaced by YAJIMA 87')
MF NAKAMURA
FW KUROTSU (replaced by NOBORIZATO 80')
FW CHONG (yellow card 77')
FW RENATINHO (replaced by TASAKA '80)

Comment:

Frontale got off to a losing start in their 2010 AFC Champions League campaign. And, in light of their pre-season preparations, I'm not overly surprised.

I've only caught the goals so far (Seongnam's first looked suspiciously offside), but it's clear that Juninho's cutting edge was sorely missed. It also seems that the right side of defence is still something of a problem.

The most interesting factor was the decision to play three up front...away from home...with Kurotsu getting the nod alongside Chong Tese and Renatinho. Would a more moderate 4-4-2 approach have been more sensible in the circumstances? Or is this a statement of intent from coach Takahata?

Looking on the bright side, this should serve as the wake-up call the friendly fixtures couldn't provide. And the pain of defeat will hopefully put the team in the right frame of mind to bag three points in their opening J.League fixture at home to Albirex Niigata a week on Saturday.

AFC Champions League: Group E Schedule

Frontale's 2010 campaign gets under way with a tricky Asian Champions League fixture away to K-League runners-up Seongnam Ilhwa FC.

The match will take place on Tuesday, 23rd February - almost 2 weeks prior to the start of the domestic season on 6th March.

Frontale can look forward to a familiar travel itinerary, as they once again face teams from Korea, China and Australia. However, the quality of the opposition looks a step up from last year's, at least on paper.

One would expect Melbourne Victory to provide a stiffer challenge than Central Coast Mariners. And, after the pandemonium in Tianjin last year, the prospect of a trip to China for the final group game must be a little daunting.

Here's the full schedule for Group E.

#	Opponent	Date	Venue
1	Seongnam Ilhwa FC (KOR)	23 Feb (@ 19:00)	Tancheon Sports Complex
2	Beijing Guoan (CHN)	09 Mar (@ 19:00)	Todoroki Stadium
3	Melbourne Victory (AUS)	23 Mar (@ 19:00)	Todoroki Stadium
4	Melbourne Victory (AUS)	31 Mar (@ 19:30)	Etihad Stadium
5	Seongnam Ilhwa FC (KOR)	14 Apr (@ 19:00)	Todoroki Stadium
6	Beijing Guoan (CHN)	28 Apr (@ 19:30)	Beijing Workers Stadium

Nagoya Grampus v Kawasaki Frontale

ACL QF 2nd leg: Wed, 30th September 2009

	3 - 1
OGAWA 27' YOSHIDA 35' KENNEDY 88'		CHONG 38'

Venue: Mizuho Stadium
Attendance: 8,796

The wheels of Frontale's ACL bandwagon fell off on Wednesday night with a tired defeat against a determined Nagoya Grampus.

After a slow opening 15 minutes, the hosts quickly overturned Frontale's 1st leg advantage. An unstoppable long-range drive from Yoshizumi Ogawa, swiftly followed by a Maya Yoshida header (converting Alex Santos's devilish dead-ball delivery), put Nagoya in the driving seat.

Chong Tese pulled one back before the break - adding an assured finish to Renatinho's clever through-pass, and balancing the aggregate scoreline.

However, a late poacher's strike from Josh Kennedy (after Kawashima could only parry Magnum's header) sealed Nagoya's place in the semis where they will face Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia.

I would go into the gory details, but none of it would be very positive. So this time I'll just hold my tongue. Suffice it to say, certain players are in need of immediate R&R to prevent this season ending with a whimper rather than a bang.

Kawasaki Frontale v Nagoya Grampus

ACL QF 1st leg: Wed, 23rd September 2009

	2 - 1
NAKAMURA 60' JUNINHO 63'		KENNEDY 28'

Venue: Kokuritsu Stadium
Attendance: 17,939

Short on time today, so it's just the top 5 pros and cons for this one.

The Good:

1. Fantastic support despite having to make do with the national stadium as a makeshift home venue. (Todoroki was playing host to Tyson Gay and friends. I knew that running track was there for a reason.)

2. A return to the unrestrained style of olden times. Haven't seen the team create so many good chances in a long time. Of course they had to go a goal down first...and Nagoya aren't exactly renowned for their defence.

3. Kikuchi repeatedly getting stuck into the ever-whinging Josh Kennedy. Not sure how he escaped without a booking, but he did a wonderful job.

4. Magnum not scoring against us. (He says, tempting fate).

5. Yokoyama's distribution skills. Considering he was playing as a centre-back last year, this never ceases to impress me.

The Bad:

1. Renatinho's shooting of late. He's generally on target, but he either scuffs it or hits it into the ground. Hopefully, this is something he can remedy sooner rather than later.

2. Chong Tese's inability to keep possession. Nothing new here, but if you give him the ball you can be 90% sure he'll give it away.

3. Kawashima on Kennedy's goal. I know it just scraped inside the post, but it was hardly a rocket and you'd expect someone with Eiji's athleticism to cover the ground. He made up for it, mind, with the finger tip save on the goal line...and when deflecting Kennedy's second half shot with the end of his boot.

4. The prospect of Sekizuka reverting to the defensive approach in Nagoya. The priority has to be getting an away goal, not defending a precarious lead.

5. The diving is getting a bit embarrassing now. I generally don't mind when Juninho does it - can't teach an old dog new tricks, after all. And Renatinho is so blatant that it's actually quite funny. But to see even Kawashima getting involved now...someone needs to have a word. Actually this should have gone in a separate section called "The Ugly". Too late now!

ACL Pits Dolphins Against Whales

The quarter-final draw for the AFC Champions League has thrown up another all-Japanese clash with Frontale set to face Nagoya Grampus for a place in the semi-finals.

This is a pretty agreeable outcome for both teams. Not only will they be lining up against familiar opponents, but they've also managed to avoid the prospect of a draining long-haul expedition at a crucial stage of the J.League season.

Frontale are at a slight disadvantage with the first leg taking place at Todoroki (on Wednesday, 23rd September with the return leg at Mizuho the following week). But they've shown against Gamba that they're perfectly capable of getting a result on the road.

Not wanting to count any chickens, but either Pakhtakor (of Uzbekistan) or Al Ittihad (of Saudi Arabia) awaits the winner in the semis.

Gamba Osaka v Kawasaki Frontale

AFC Champions League - Last 16: Wed, 24th June 2009

	2 - 3
LEANDRO 27', 39'		NAKAMURA 33' RENATINHO 76' KUROTSU 85'

Venue: Expo '70 Stadium
Attendance: 14,128

Frontale clinched their second ACL quarter-final spot in 3 years with a dramatic, late comeback against the competition's reigning champions, Gamba Osaka, on Wednesday night.

Gamba dominated early on and should really have had the tie wrapped up by half time. But Frontale rode their luck and battled bravely til the end, twice coming from behind before stealing victory at the death.

Yasuhito Endo and Leandro, both of whom had been injury doubts for Gamba in the lead-up to the game, were instrumental in the home team's first-half dominance. Endo's passing, movement and set play delivery caused Frontale problems from the outset, and there was a string of chances that went begging before Leandro finally gave his team a deserved lead.

Gamba were finding most joy on Frontale's left where the understanding between Ito and Murakami often looked frayed. And it was down this flank that Leandro found space before cutting in past three defenders and beating big Eiji.

There's no doubt Sekizuka lost the tactical battle in the first half. His decision to play three stikers - Juninho, Renatinho and Chong Tese - backfired as Gamba dominated the midfield rendering Frontale's front men impotent. Although, to be fair to the manager, a fit Vitor Junior would have given him more options.

And, of course, it wasn't just the formation. Gamba played some excellent, energetic football in the first half. It was almost as if they had an extra man on the field, so easily were they finding space and retaining possession. Frontale's overstretched midfield - of Kengo, Taniguchi and Terada - was too busy defending the tide of Gamba pressure to have any real opportunity to supply their increasingly isolated strikers.

But then came possibly the game's most crucial moment. During a rare Frontale offensive raid, a neat backheel from Renatinho on the edge of the box found Kengo in space. As the Gamba defence stood off, a gap appeared and captain K took an opportunistic strike that sailed sweetly into the bottom corner.

This bolt from the blue, coming completely against the run of play, put some much-needed wind back in the visitors' sails as well as temporarily knocking Gamba off their stride. And although Gamba were back in the lead before the break - Leandro strolling in unchallenged to convert Akira Kaji's perfect cross - Kengo's goal meant Frontale still had a lifeline to cling onto.

I'll give Sekizuka the benefit of the doubt and assume his half-time change - Yuji Yabu on for Chong Tese - was purely tactical. The extra body in midfield certainly made a difference and the second half was a much more even contest.

That's not to say Gamba didn't have chances to kill the game off. Soon after the break both Leandro and Lucas squandered decent opportunities to extend their lead, but it wasn't to be.

Frontale were now seeing a lot more of the ball and Gamba, with several players only recently returned from injury, looked to be tiring. So it came as a bit of a surprise when Kurotsu came on for Juninho just as the pressure was beginning to tell, and with half an hour still on the clock.

Now, Kurotsu's never been the deadliest tool in Frontale's weaponry, but within minutes of his arrival he'd almost levelled things up. Released down the left by Kengo, he saw Gamba keeper, Yosuke Fujigaya, off his line and put in a deft lob that dropped agonisingly wide.

Shortly after, there was another flurry of activity on the sidelines. Initially, Yokoyama was stripped and ready to replace the flagging Terada. But just as the official's board was going up Renatinho motioned to the bench that he was in trouble - the problem appearing to be the mouth injury he picked up against Oita at the weekend.

Sekizuka (quite rightly) told the Brazilian to stop being such a big girl's blouse, but delayed the substitution and had Yajima readied just in case. This turned out to be a very wise decision, as moments later it was Renatinho who squared the tie with a spectacular strike.

Kengo was again involved - picking up the ball outside the Gamba box before flicking it wide to Rena. The boy wonder then cut inside Michihiro Yasuda and unleashed a curling, left-footed shot from the corner of the penalty area that wiped its feet on the angle of post and bar before hitting the back of the net. Obviously not feeling the effects of that mouth injury too much!

With 10 minutes left Gamba looked to bolster their attack, bringing on Korean striker Cho Jae-Jin for Takahiro Futagawa. However, this allowed Frontale more room in midfield and Kengo was quick to exploit this.

Combining with Renatinho to break up another wave of pressure, Kengo again launched Kurotsu through on goal. Hearts were in mouths as the substitute striker delayed until the very last second before prodding the ball past Fujigaya to give Frontale the lead.

With the seconds ticking away Gamba threw on more attackers. Of these, Ryuji Bando came closest to forcing extra time, but Kawashima did well to tip over his fierce drive. And despite a nervy finish, Frontale were able to hold out for a momentous victory.

The draw for the quarter finals will take place on the 29th June. Frontale will be paired with one of the following teams from the Western Asia qualifying section - Umm-Salal (Qatar), Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan), Pakhtakor Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Al-Ittihad (Saudi Arabia).

ACL action is now on hold til the end of September, which gives the team a chance to focus on their climb up the J.League table. I'm sure Gamba will be keen on revenge when they meet for a league clash next Wednesday.

As an aside, Renatinho's current contract is due to expire at the end of month. Given his recent form, surely an extension is in the offing?

Kawasaki Frontale v Pohang Steelers

AFC Champions League - Group H: Tue, 19th May 2009

	0 - 2
		NOH BYUNG-JOON 12' DENILSON 72' SHIN HYUNG-MIN (sent off 89')

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 13,633

A tired performance from Frontale saw them relinquish top spot in Group H to a well-organised Pohang Steelers on Tuesday night.

With the next round of the ACL decided by a one-leg knockout match, Frontale will be unhappy they couldn't pick up the point that would have given them a home tie against the runners-up of Group E. Instead they now have the more difficult, albeit more familiar, prospect of a trip to Banpaku to face current ACL champions Gamba Osaka.

Vitor Junior and Yokoyama returned to the side after their enforced rest at the weekend. And Yamagishi kept his place - this time filling in for the suspended Mori at right-back.

The first half proved Frontale's undoing. Pohang dominated possession and a three-man attack, spearheaded by their big Macedonian, Stevica Ristic, gave the backline a torrid time.

The Koreans were helped on their way by a referee who, overall, was actually not too shabby by ACL standards. Twice in the opening 10 minutes he awarded the visitors free kicks right inside "the D" following wafer-thin contact from Frontale defenders.

From the first, they hit the post. From the second, they scored - Kawashima unsighted by a wall that had to be set up so deep it was practically on top of him.

It took until the 40th minute before Frontale managed to string together their first cohesive attack. And a decent passing move it was, culminating in Juninho feeding Chong Tese whose shot forced a good save from the Pohang keeper.

Frontale were much better after the break and took the game to the Koreans. With the twinkle-toed Renatinho on for the flounder-footed Yamagishi (Yokoyama moving to centre-back and Igawa out on the right) the visitors were penned back in ther own half for a good 15-minute spell. But Pohang defended stoutly and the home team were unable to make their pressure tell.

Then, the ghost of amateur defending once again reared its ugly head. A quick Pohang counter had Frontale stretched and, as an extra man joined the attack, three defenders were all drawn to the ball. This left the burly Brazilian Denilson free on the right to slot through Kawashima's legs and kill the game.

There was a little drama late on as Pohang had a man sent off for a second bookable offence. And at the very death, Renatinho saw a looping header tipped over. But on the whole it was simply a bad day at the office for the boys in blue.

Tianjin Teda v Kawasaki Frontale

AFC Champions League - Group H: Tue, 5th May 2009

	3 - 1
MA LEILEI 12', 19' TOMMASI 90+4'		RENATINHO 51'

Venue: Tianjin Teda Stadium
Attendance: 15,717

If anyone needed evidence of what an ugly display of anti-football the AFC can sometimes throw up, they need look no further than this.

With Pohang having beaten Central Coast earlier in the day, Tianjin came into this Group H tie with nothing left to play for but their honour. Sadly, their by-any-means-necessary 3-1 win over a bruised and battered Frontale will probably leave them brimming with pride.

"I won't comment on the fouls - it's up to the referee to decide", was the Tianjin manger's post-match analysis. However, with the incompetent officials showing about as much authority as Bambi at a deer hunters' convention, the game quickly descended into a contest of kick or be kicked. How both teams ended up with 11 men still on the field is anybody's guess.

Footage of the game has already been banned in several countries, so gratuitous was some of the violence on display. The individual incidents are too many to go into, but the worst was probably a career-threatening, two-footed lunge at Terada's standing leg just before half-time.

And it wasn't just the players. Following a mix-up in which the referee booked Kengo despite Mori's protestations that he had been the offender, there was a mass on-field altercation in which one of Tianjin's staff appeared to kick a Frontale player. Goes without saying that no replay was shown and no punishment will be dished out.

Amateurish, Farcical, Contemptible. Sort it out AFC. This joke's not funny any more.

Kawasaki Frontale v Central Coast Mariners

AFC Champions League - Group H: Tue, 21st April 2009

	2 - 1
JUNINHO 46' RENATINHO 81'		SIMON 59'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 8.419

Frontale overcame the elements and a resilient Central Coast Mariners to book their place in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday night.

A glancing Renatinho header secured the three points after a 60th minute Matt Simon strike had cancelled out Juninho's predatory opener.

The only change from the team that started against Omiya on Saturday was the loss of Murakami at left back. Igawa was brought in alongside Terada in the middle and Ito shifted over to the side.

The first half was football at its least entertaining. It's hard to know who was more to blame, the relentless rain god or the inept referee. Whichever, the combined effect was an opening 45 minutes notable only for the occasional episode of brandished handbags between two increasingly frustrated sides.

With conditions more suited to a Guantanamo Bay swimming lesson, Frontale's intricate passing game was all but nullified. Central Coast, for their part, made a much better fist of closing down in midfield than they'd managed on home soil. Andre Gumprecht, in particular, deserves credit for keeping Kengo quiet, while Matt Simon, returning from suspension, looked a more lively option up front.

Indeed it was Simon who came closest to opening the scoring - denied only by a last-ditch recovery from Eiji after the ball had slipped loose inside the 6 yard box.

On the very stroke of half-time Vitor missed a golden opportunity to give Frontale the lead. Juninho found space down the right and sent over a pinpoint cross. But his pint-sized compatriot made an absolute pig's ear of his unchallenged header from 8 yards out.

Given the slick surface it was surprising that neither keeper's handling was really put to the test in the first half. This was put right within minutes of the restart as Danny Vukovic was unable to hold onto a powerful header from Chong Tese. Juninho was quickly on hand to feed off the scraps and put his team ahead.

Despite the heavens remaining open, the floodgates stayed firmly shut. After weathering a brief storm of Frontale pressure, the Mariners steadied their ship and fought back with the kind of gutsy determination that was so lacking two weeks ago.

Not only did the visitors succeed in keeping themselves in the game, but on the hour mark they were level. The breakthrough came when Ito for once failed to step up and hold the line, leaving Matt Simon free to slide the ball past the advancing Kawashima.

A month ago Frontale might have struggled to respond to this kind of setback. However, these days they look to be made of sterner stuff and, with Renatinho and Yajima on for Vitor and Chong Tese, the home team soon started to regain the upper hand.

And their patient approach didn't go unrewarded. With 10 minutes left on the clock, a corner delivered deep by Kengo was poorly dealt with by two Mariners challenging for the same ball. It dropped to Taniguchi whose floated cross was glanced inside the far post by Renatinho, notching up his 3rd goal in 4 ACL games (in 3 of which he's only featured as a second-half sub).

The result leaves Central Coast at the bottom of the group on 2 points. Frontale stay top on 10 points. Home and dry!

---

Here's how things stand in Group H with two games to play:

Team	GP	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
Kawasaki Frontale	4	3	1	0	9	2	10
Pohang Steelers	4	1	3	0	2	1	6
Tianjin Teda	4	0	2	2	2	4	2
Central Coast Mariners	4	0	2	2	3	9	2

Central Coast Mariners v Kawasaki Frontale

AFC Champions League - Group H: Wed, 8th April 2009

	0 - 5
		CHONG 8' TANIGUCHI 22' JUNINHO 37' NAKAMURA 49' RENATINHO 70'

Venue: Bluetongue Stadium
Attendance: 9,419

A buoyant Kawasaki Frontale maintained their two-point cushion at the top of Group H with a five-goal footballing masterclass against Central Coast Mariners on Wednesday night.

Progress to the knockout stage should now be plain sailing for the "cashed up" Japanese side after comprehensively sinking their Australian hosts.

Chong Tese opened proceedings, holding off Mariners defender Brad Porter to head home Mori's inviting cross. There had been suggestions that the burly Korean might be rested after his recent international exertions, but he showed little sign of fatigue in an impressive forward display.

Juninho should have added a second shortly after, but it was Taniguchi who was next onto the scoresheet with a trademark header from Vitor's corner. This second goal took whatever wind remained out of the home team's sails and afforded Frontale the freedom to relax into their game.

Chances were now coming thick and fast. Vitor Junior, who was simply too hot for the Australians to handle, curled a shot inches wide from the corner of the box after cutting in neatly on his left foot. Chong Tese was then sent through on goal only for Mariners captain Alex Wilkinson to get back and do just enough to avert the danger.

The game was put to bed on 37 minutes when a deflected shot flew past a wrong-footed Danny Vukovic in the Mariners goal. Mori, who gave another all-round strong performance, came in off his wing and squared to Chong whose deft dummy left Juninho with time and space to pick his spot. It looked like the veteran striker's shot was probably on target, but the deflection off defender Nigel Boogaard certainly helped.

Central Coast weren't without their own chances. Indeed if striker Nik Mrdja hadn't directed his free header straight at Eiji Kawashima in the opening minutes it could have given the visitors, whose confidence is often easily bruised, something to think about.

Half chances fell to Adrian Caceres and Dylan MacAllister, and a couple of corners were wastefully overhit, but other than that the home team showed little of note in the first half. At 3-0 Mrdja did finally manage to spring the offside trap but his tame shot rebounded harmlessly away off big Eiji's sturdy frame.

Any half-time words of encouragament from Mariners manager Lawrie McKinna were blown away straight after the break when Kengo made it four. A sumptuous Vitor flick with the outside of the boot fell perfectly for his captain to volley into the back of the net.

Kengo almost returned the favour soon after when his back-heel left Vitor with the goal at his mercy. The diminutive Brazilian watched his shot sail towards the top corner before being diverted round the post by a last-gasp lunge from Porter.

With things going much better than any pre-match script he could have prepared, Sekizuka took the opportunity to rest some of his key players. Chong, Mori and Taniguchi came off for Renatinho, Igawa and Yamagishi. The latter two did little to suggest they'll be reclaiming their starting spots any time soon, but Renatinho put out a reminder that he can do a job for the team by adding a fifth.

A loose pass out from Vukovic left Boogaard looking foolish as the Frontale forwards pounced. Juninho (somewhat miraculously) decided to pass to Renatinho, thereby taking full advantage of a two-on-one situation, and the substitute's clinical shot sent the away supporters into raptures.

Frontale could have been forgiven for taking their eye off the ball after the break, but Sekizuka looks to be instilling a ruthless professionalism in his charges. Things did slow down towards the end, but this was more as a result of the substitutions than any lack of respect for their opponents.

Central Coast showed occasional signs of life in the second half. The addition of Ahmad Elrich and Adam Kwasnik brought a bit more spirit to a demoralised side. The latter was unlucky to be denied on two occasions, one a point-blank save by Kawashima and the other a goal-line clearance from Terada. But the home fans weren't to get their consolation goal.

Frontale can seal their progress to the next round in the return leg in a fortnight's time. After this performance, the Mariners will no doubt be relishing their trip that little bit less.

Extended highlights of the game can be found on YouTube: Part1, Part2, Part3.

Pohang Steelers v Kawasaki Frontale

AFC Champions League - Group H: Wed, 18th March 2009

	1 - 1
KIM JAE-SUNG 12'		TERADA 24'

Venue: Steelyard Stadium
Attendance: 7,335

Frontale maintained pole position in Group H with a hard-fought draw away to Korea's Pohang Steelers on Wednesday night.

Sekizuka called for an improved defensive performance from his team and, despite a nervy start, that's what he got.

It was clear from the choice of personnel and formation that the main priority here was to avoid defeat. Renatinho, Yamagishi and Igawa made way for Murakami, Mori and Yokoyama in what looked on paper like a return to the old 3-5-2. In fact, Terada and Ito were the only out-and-out defenders with Mori and Murakami playing increasingly restrained roles on the flanks and Yokoyama and Taniguchi sitting deep in the middle.

In the opening stages, this unfamiliar formation looked unlikely to help a team already short on self-belief. Kawashima was in action almost immediately to deny Pohang after they found a man in acres of space on the right of a lop-sided Frontale defense.

Then, with just 12 minutes on the clock, the home team took the lead. Exploiting another hole between Murakami and Ito, midfielder Kim Jae-Sung ran onto a well-weighted pass and poked the ball past big Eiji.

But, to be fair, that was as bad as it got. The Frontale players grew into their defensive roles and looked far more controlled for the rest of the match than in any of their previous outings.

And at the other end, Pohang were displaying frailties of their own. Keeper, Shin Hwa-Yong, was called upon to make fine saves first from Ito and then Kengo. But he was powerless in the 24th minute when Vitor Junior delivered a corner perfectly onto the head of Shuhei Terada, who made no mistake from 6 yards out.

The visitors could well have been in front by half time, with both Vitor and Taniguchi squandering good chances. The Brazilian, who's still not quite firing on all cylinders, misplaced his pass when he had the Pohang defense in disarray. Taniguchi, who'd recently had his nose burst by a stray boot, can be forgiven (just this once) for fluffing his shot in front of an open goal.

Pohang came out fighting in the second half, but never really troubled a relatively resolute Frontale defense. A slew of free kicks awarded by the whistle-happy Omani referee provided the home team's best opportunuties.

Frontale, on the other hand, were happy to sit back and play on the counter - Murakami and Mori rarely straying beyond the halfway line.

Their best chance of the second half fell to Kurotsu, on for Chong, but he could only direct his volley, from a Juninho cross, straight at the Pohang keeper.

Although Frontale could have taken all 3 points, this performance should have given their confidence a much-needed boost - at least defensively. And while Sekizuka's tactical approach doesn't quite have the dazzle of last season's all-out attack, one gets the feeling that the team will benefit from the former in the long, congested season ahead. (I reserve the right to reconsider that opinion if Yamagishi starts at right-back against JEF on Sunday!).

Extended highlights of the game can be found on YouTube: Part1, Part2, Part3.

Kawasaki Frontale v Tianjin Teda

AFC Champions League - Group H: Wed, 11th March 2009

	1 - 0
RENATINHO 16'

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 12,125

On a cold, damp Wednesday night Frontale stuttered to victory in their opening ACL encounter with China's Tianjin Teda.

Group H's other two teams, Central Coast Mariners and Pohang Steelers, ground out a goalless draw, leaving Frontale top of the table. However, the prospect of a trip to Todoroki will hardly have them trembling in their boots after this rather ring rusty performance.

Sekizuka sent out the same team that started against Kashiwa on Saturday, Yamagishi still featuring at right-back. And for the opening 15 minutes they bossed the game, showing the kind of movement and control of which we all know they're capable.

On 16 minutes Frontale's dominance was rewarded. Vitor Junior beat two defenders and whipped in a cross from the left which Renatinho, leaping gazelle-like, angled inside the far post.

At this stage you'd have been forgiven for thinking a rout was on the cards. But the visitors, to their credit, had other ideas and began to expose some of their hosts' vulnerabilities.

Marshalled by former Italian international, Damiano Tommasi, Tianjin started to get stuck in to the Frontale midfield. All too soon, passes were being rushed and possession ceded in increasingly dangerous areas. This in turn led to the kind of rabbit-in-the-headlights defending that plagued much of last season.

Encouraged by this shift in the balance of play, Tianjin pressed forward. But for all their possession in and around the Frontale penalty area they only really had one good chance - a free header that was directed wide.

Half time gave Frontale the opportunity to regrow a pair and they showed much stronger resolve in the second half. The balance of power shifted back to the home team and, as the visitors began to tire from their first half efforts, Frontale's front men saw more and more of the ball.

However, as so often, it was the final ball that repeatedly let the side down. And, apart from one glorious opportunity for Chong Tese to add some sheen to an otherwise anonymous performance, there were few clear openings.

It was encouraging to see the downcast faces of the players at the end of the game. They know they're better than this performance attested and hopefully they'll be able to show that starting with the away trip to Kobe at the weekend.

Still not convinced by the Yamagishi experiment. Defensively both Mori and Yamagishi are suspect, but at least Mori knows what he's doing coming forward on the right. Yamagishi had ample opportunity to show what he can offer offensively, but he continues to look like a fish out of water. The defense looked far more stable when he was replaced by Murakami at the end, although by then, it must be said, the opposition had run out of steam.

The defense was also helped by the arrival of Yokoyama in midfield for the last 10 minutes. This lad has a bright future.

Frontale's ACL fate decided

The draw for the group stage of the 2009 AFC Champions League took place in Dubai today.

Frontale have been drawn in Group H along with:

Central Coast Mariners (AUS) - A-League premiers* 2007-8
Tianjin Teda (CHN) - Chinese Super League 4th place 2008
Pohang Steelers (KOR) - Korean FA Cup winners 2008

Can't pretend to know much about any of these teams, but first impressions suggest it could have been worse. None of Frontale's opponents are overall champions of their respective leagues. And, although the trip to New South Wales will be a drain, Tianjin and Pohang are practically neighbours (relatively speaking).

Group H match schedule:

Game	Date	Opponent	Venue
1	11/03/2009 (Wed.)	Tianjin Teda	Todoroki Stadium
2	18/03/2009 (Wed.)	Pohang Steelers	Steelyard
3	8/04/2009 (Wed.)	Central Coast Mariners	Blue Tongue Stadium
4	21/04/2009 (Tue.)	Central Coast Mariners	Todoroki Stadium
5	5/05/2009 (Tue.)	Tianjin Teda	Tianjin Teda Stadium
6	19/05/2009 (Tue.)	Pohang Steelers	Todoroki Stadium

* In the A-League, whichever team tops the table at the end of the regular season wins the title of A-League Premiers. The top four teams then compete in a play-off series to decide the overall champion. Central Coast Mariners topped the table at the end of the regular season, but were runners-up in the play-off series to Newcastle Jets, who thereby became A-League Champions.

Kawasaki Frontale v Sepahan (IRN)

AFC Champions League - QF, 2nd Leg
Wed, 26th September 2007

	0 - 0 [4 - 5] penalties

Venue: Todoroki Stadium
Attendance: 13,507

Sepahan (IRN) v Kawasaki Frontale

AFC Champions League - QF, 1st Leg
Wed, 19th September 2007

	0 - 0

Venue: Naghsh-e-Jahan Stadium, Esfahan, Iran
Attendance: 25,000