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October 3, 2024

Football: Marinos Dominate Ulsan with a Resounding 4-0 Victory, Notching First ACL Elite Triumph

Yokohama F. Marinos clinched a powerful first win in the Asian Champions League Elite on Wednesday, delivering a commanding 4-0 victory over Ulsan HD at Nissan Stadium in their second group-stage encounter. The victory marked a significant comeback for Marinos, who were coming off a disappointing 7-3 defeat to Gwangju FC two weeks earlier in South Korea. In a display of resilience, they secured their first clean sheet in eight games across all competitions.

The Marinos set the tone early, taking the lead four minutes into the match. Anderson Lopes skillfully spread the play to the left for Elber, who surged into the penalty area and delivered a precise cutback for Kota Watanabe to finish quickly. Though Yan Matheus had a 17th-minute goal disallowed for a handball, Marinos doubled their lead just before halftime with an exhilarating counter-attack. Launched from within their own half, the play saw the Brazilian trio expertly combine to set up Takuma Nishimura, who swept home the ball with finesse, underscoring the Marinos’ tactical brilliance and team cohesion.

“I’m glad to win as we haven’t won lately. We can make adjustments from here to head in a good direction,” Nishimura said. “It was a good counter involving four of us.”

Ulsan struggled to find their finishing touch and were punished again in the 83rd minute when Anderson Lopes unleashed a curling shot outside the box, which ricocheted off the post. Marinos capped off their dominant performance in second-half stoppage time as Kota Mizunuma calmly tapped in Kenta Inoue’s squared pass to seal the 4-0 victory.

In other action, Vissel Kobe recorded their first win with a 2-1 triumph over China’s Shandong Taishan on home turf. Taisei Miyashiro gave Kobe an early lead, heading in a free-kick in the 14th minute. Shandong responded in the 28th minute when Cryzan headed in the equalizer after a well-placed corner set up a clear shot across the goal. Former Japan fullback Gotoku Sakai delivered the decisive goal, as his strike from just inside the area deflected past the keeper to clinch all three points for Kobe.

Football: Daizen Maeda Scores in Celtic’s Heavy Champions League Loss to Dortmund

Japan forward Daizen Maeda found the net with an early equalizer. Still, his Scottish club, Celtic, fell to a crushing 7-1 defeat against Borussia Dortmund in their second group-stage match of the Champions League on Tuesday. Maeda leveled the score in the ninth minute, slotting home Arne Engels’ cross to cancel Emre Can’s opener at the BVB Stadion in Dortmund.

However, Dortmund quickly took control. Karim Adeyemi completed a remarkable 30-minute hat-trick to help the German side build a commanding 5-1 lead by halftime. Despite Maeda’s efforts, Celtic were overwhelmed by Dortmund’s relentless attack as they sought their first group-stage points.

“It showed where we actually stand. We still have six games left, so we’ll switch our attention,” said Maeda, whose loose touch outside his own box led to Adeyemi’s third goal.

“There are situations in Scotland where losing the ball doesn’t end up conceding a goal, but they take that one chance on stages like this. That was my mistake.”

Maeda’s fellow Japanese stars, Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate, also took the field against the formidable German side, showcasing their skills and contributing to the match. In Celtic’s impressive 5-1 opening victory over Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava on September 18, Maeda celebrated a significant milestone by netting his first-ever Champions League goal. This achievement marked an exciting moment as he embarked on his third season competing in Europe’s prestigious top-tier club competition, further solidifying his role as an integral part of the team.

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