Continental Club Clashes: Saudi Arabia vs Japan
Kuala Lumpur: Teams from Saudi Arabia and Japan have a track record of success in Asian competitions, but the AFC Champions League has not seen a winner from either since 2005 and 2008 respectively.
One of the barren runs will be broken after the mouthwatering final of the 2017 edition between Al Hilal and Urawa Red Diamonds, ahead of which the-AFC.com looks back at four memorable clashes between Saudi and Japanese sides.
Al Shabab v Kashiwa Reysol – 2013 AFC Champions League Quarter-final
Kashiwa Reysol's run to the 2013 AFC Champions League semi-finals in just their second appearance in the tournament did not come without a struggle in their quarter-final win over Al Shabab.
After a 1-1 draw in Kashiwa, Naif Hazazi gave Al Shabab the lead in the second leg in Riyadh, but Kwak Tae-hwi's own goal put Kashiwa back on level terms before Naoyo Kondo gave them the lead for the first time.
In the 85th minute, Mukhtar Fallatah netted a late equaliser for Al Shabab and set up a stirring finale; however, the goal proved to be inconsequential as Kashiwa held on to go through to the semi-final on away goals.
Al Ittihad v Nagoya Grampus – 2009 AFC Champions League Semi-final
Next on our list is a masterclass from two-time Asian champions Al Ittihad that killed off the hopes of Nagoya Grampus in the first leg of their 2009 AFC Champions League semi-final.
After Nagoya stunned the Jeddah crowd with a 2-1 lead at half-time, a Mohammed Noor-inspired Al Ittihad staged an astounding comeback by scoring five goals in the second half to give the Japanese side a mountain to climb.
The talismanic midfielder led with a hat-trick and an assist in an imperious performance as the game ended 6-2, before Al Ittihad then went on to clinch the second leg 2-1 in Nagoya and proceeded to their third AFC Champions League final.
Al Hilal v Jubilo Iwata – 1999-2000 Asian Club Championship Final
This is the match that turned Sergio Ricardo into a storied name in Al Hilal folklore, with the Brazilian marksman having a say at the start and finish of what was a nail-biting contest.
Al Hilal went in front in the third minute through Sergio's stunning free-kick but Masashi Nakayama and Naohiro Takahara netted in the 18th and 19th minutes to give Jubilo the lead, before sheer drama ensued.
Al Hilal battled back but it wasn’t until the penultimate minute of normal time that Sergio put his definitive impression on the match by equalising with a diving header and then finishing things off with a golden goal in extra-time to give Al Hilal their second Asian Club Championship title.
Al Hilal v Nagoya Grampus – 1996-97 Asian Cup Winners' Cup Final
In the last entry on the list, we have the final of the 1996-97 Asian Cup Winners' Cup, which saw Al Hilal and Nagoya Grampus face off in Riyadh.
Al Hilal legend Sami Al Jaber was in inspired form and scored the opening goal in the 16th minute, but Tetsuo Nakanishi then equalised for Nagoya to send the teams into half-time with the score at 1-1.
A hard-fought second half saw Al Jaber turn provider by setting up Yousef Al Thunayan to tap in at the far post before Moroccan star Salaheddine Bassir stole the ball off the Nagoya goalkeeper to score into an empty net as the Saudi team lifted their first of two Asian Cup Winners' Cups.
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com
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