As the smoke cleared from the second round of the Asian Champions League quarterfinals, we witnessed three exciting matches. Riyadh Crescent, Al Ain and Ulsan HD all won their matches by a landslide to advance to the top four. The Asian Champions League is now in its infancy, with Shandong Taishan and Yokohama Mariners battling it out for the final spot.
In the first matchup, Riyadh Crescent and Jeddah are in a fierce battle. In the first round, Riyadh Crescent won 2-0, showing their strength and ability to control the field. Back at home, despite Jeddah United's best efforts, Riyadh Crescent's defense and swift counter-attacks gave them no chance to take advantage of the game. In the second half, Shahrani and Malcolm made the score 2-0, and finally swept Jeddah United 4-0 to advance to the Champions League.
In another exciting match, Al Ain and Riyadh battled it out. The match had its ups and downs, with Riyadh trailing by two goals at home, but thanks to their fighting spirit and teamwork, they scored three consecutive goals to equalize the aggregate score. Extra time saw the two sides battle it out in a white-hot match, which was eventually decided on penalties. Although Riyadh lost the penalty shootout, they won the praise of their fans for their resilience.
Meanwhile, the match between Ulsan HD and Jeonbuk Hyundai was equally exciting. Both teams were equally strong and the match was full of gunpowder. Ulsan HD eliminated Jeonbuk Hyundai 2-1 on aggregate after three years with a 1-0 shutout in second half stoppage time, returning to the top four after three years.
The top four spots in the Asian Champions League are now locked up with Riyadh Crescent, Al Ain and Ulsan HD. Shandong Taishan and Yokohama Mariners will fight for the last spot. Shandong Taishan, as the only team in the Chinese Super League, has a heavy responsibility. After losing 1-2 on the road in the first round, they will need to go all out in the second round, which is both a challenge and an opportunity for them. They need to play their best to win the honor for the Chinese Super League.
Specifically, Shandong Taishan will need to net 2 goals in the second round, i.e. a 2-0 win, in order to advance. Under normal circumstances, a 3-0 win would have been more prudent. After all, with Riyadh and Al Ain's victories still on the horizon, Shandong Taishan will find it difficult to sustain extra time if they are to advance to the top four!
