Sports

Yokohama F Marinos Advance to Asian Champions League Final for the First Time

Marinos beat South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai 5-4 in a penalty shootout in the second leg of the Asian Champions League semifinal at Yokohama Stadium.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 25, 2024

Ed Odeven

Yokohama F Marinos players celebrate winning a penalty shootout in their Asian Champions League semifinal second-leg match against Ulsan Hyundai on April 24, 2024, at Yokohama Stadium to qualify for the final. (Issei Kato/REUTERS)

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In an action-packed Asian Champions League semifinal second-leg match, Yokohama F Marinos jumped out to an early three-goal lead against South Korea's Ulsan Hyundai.

Nothing was decided at that point, though, at a rain-soaked Yokohama Stadium on Wednesday night, April 24.

Eventually, a penalty shootout was necessary to determine which team would advance to play in the home-and-away final. And Marinos won the shootout 5-4 on a goal by Brazilian defender Carlos Eduardo.

For Marinos, guided by first-year Australian manager Harry Kewell, Wednesday's drama delivered the team's first-ever trip to the Asian Champions League final.

"[It's] a huge step forward not only for the players," Kewell said, according to Kyodo News, "but for the club itself to show that anything is possible."

Kewell added, "I'm over the moon for the players, but we still have to concentrate as well."

In the first half, Marinos forward Asahi Uenaka scored a pair of goals (13th minute, 30th) sandwiched around another from Anderson Lopes in the 21st.

But the storyline changed quickly.

Before the stroke of halftime, Marinos' lead dwindled to 3-2, as Matheus Sales scored on a header in the 35th minute and teammate Darijan Bojanic capitalized on a penalty in the 42nd.

In between Ulsan's two goals, Marinos defender Takumi Kamijima received a red card for a handball in the 39th minute, and 10-man Yokohama was at a tactical disadvantage for the rest of the match.

At halftime, Marinos led 3-2, which leveled the aggregate score in the semifinal series. (On April 17, Marinos lost the semifinal first leg 1-0 in Ulsan, South Korea. Dong Gyeong Lee's 19th-minute goal was the match-deciding play.)

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Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.