In the second round of the AFC Champions League final, AIAN faced Yokohama Mariners at their home stadium. In the first round of the tournament, Japanese powerhouse Yokohama Marinos took a slight lead with a score of 2-1. Although they only need to go undefeated to be crowned in this campaign, soccer matches are often full of variables; the Mariners have a solid offense and a solid track record. Looking back at their first five AFC Champions League matches, they have won four and lost one, showing top-notch athleticism, and seem to be on track to win the title with a "double" win over their opponents, with high hopes for the away match.
However, the first round of matches got off to a bad start for the Yokohama Mariners. They suffered a blistering goal from Ai Ahn 12 minutes into the home opener and trailed 0-1 at halftime. But the experienced Mariners came out firing in the second half, equalizing in the 72nd minute through a sublime pass from Nsusha, and finally sealing the 2-1 win thanks to an assist from Ryo Miyagi and a header from Hotta Watanabe in the 84th minute. Coach Kewell arrives in the UAE with the aftermath of this victory and his strong performances in the AFC Champions League this year have earned him high praise.
Aaan's team, led by Kisp, managed to knock out Saudi powerhouses Ainas and Hilal in the process of advancing to the next level. Although their strength should not be underestimated, the team is eager to redeem themselves and must adopt an offensive strategy. An overly conservative defense would only allow their opponents to seize more chances and might even lead to a bigger loss; recalling the 2005 Europa League final, Kisp's AC Milan had won the match against Liverpool. Years later, the two teams meet again, and Coach Kewell is leading the AIAN team to challenge for a higher victory, whether they can beat Yokohama Mariners on the road or not, let's wait and see.
