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Kobe romp into AFC Champions League last 16 as Japan teams dominate / Photo: © JIJI Press/AFP
Kobe romp into AFC Champions League last 16 as Japan teams dominate
Japanese champions Vissel Kobe romped into the knockout stages of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday, a 4-0 victory over Shanghai Port guaranteeing their place in the last 16 with a match to spare.
Two second-half goals in a minute from Yuya Kuwasaki and Koya Yuruki added to Yoshinori Muto's 11th-minute strike to give Vissel a deserved 3-0 lead.
Vissel's Yuya Osako saw his penalty saved in the 78th minute but swept home three minutes later from a free-kick to complete the scoring and put Kobe top of the 12-team league with 16 points. The top eight advance to the knockouts.
It was a great matchday seven for Japan as all three of their representatives in Asia's premier club competition reached the last 16.
Kawasaki Frontale sealed their passage with a comfortable 4-0 win at South Korea's Pohang Steelers.
Shin Yamada gave Frontale a 38th-minute lead before second-half strikes from Yasuto Wakizaka, So Kawahara and Erison secured the points.
The third Japanese representatives, last year's beaten finalists Yokohama F. Marinos, play on Wednesday but progressed without kicking a ball on 13 points courtesy of Tuesday's results.
Also through on 13 points are South Korea's Gwangju FC, despite losing 3-1 at Shandong Taishan who kept their qualification hopes alive.
All the goals came in a frantic first 45 minutes with Valeri Qazaishvili, Zeca and Cryzan netting for Shandong and Lee Min-gi pulling one back for Gwangju.
Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim put one foot in the last 16 with a 2-1 win at Australia's rock-bottom Central Coast Mariners, who have only one point from seven matches.
Alvaro Gonzalez was the hero for the visitors, scoring two second-half goals either side of Alou Kuol's equaliser.
Mariners played the whole of the second half with 10 men after 18-year-old goalkeeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen was red-carded for scything through Arif Aiman just outside the box in first-half injury time.
Johor are on 11 points and look almost certain to progress to the last 16, needing just a draw at home to Pohang Steelers next week to be certain. However, they could lose and still go through if other results go their way.
The West Zone teams have already played seven matches, with Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr and the other star-studded Saudi Arabian sides -- Al Ahli and Al Hilal -- already reaching the last 16.
The final round of league fixtures takes place in both zones next week.
The last-16 matches will be played over two legs in March. Saudi Arabia will then host the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final from April 25 to May 4.
F.Edwards--SFF
