AFC CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

KASHIWA EYE HOME COMFORTS AS BINH DUONG COME CALLING

Kashiwa: Coach Tatsuma Yoshida is expecting that the return to home comforts for his Kashiwa Reysol team, when the J.League club host Vietnamese champions Binh Duong in Tuesday’s AFC Champions League E encounter, will be just the tonic his side needs to get their first three points of their 2015 continental campaign.

Having beaten Thailand’s Chonburi 3-2 after extra-time in the play-offs, Kashiwa opened their third group stage appearance in the AFC Champions League last week with a goalless draw in Korea Republic, sharing a stalemate with 2006 winners Jeonbuk Motors (pictured).

And with Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng the early Group E leaders after they edged Binh Duong 3-2 in Vietnam, Yoshida is determined that his side will close the gap on the early pacesetters with a victory dedicated to their home fans.

“After getting one point against Jeonbuk in our last match, we cannot waste the opportunity to get all three points in front of our supporters so that we can share the joy of victory with them,” said Yoshida.

“I watched some matches of Binh Duong from when they played in their domestic league last season and I feel that they are a well-organised outfit and have some strong attacking players.

“But this match will be at our home ground and after two tough games already in the AFC Champions League, we will look to get a win that will set a marker for us for the rest of the games in this group.”

Binh Duong made their first AFC Champions League appearance since 2008 last week and their battling performance in the narrow 3-2 defeat to Shandong, which saw Wang Qiang’s own goal and Binh Duong’s Nigerian striker Ganiyu Oseni put the hosts in front before a brace from Yang Xu saw the Chinese FA Cup winners edge the back-and-forth-tie, suggests Nguyen Thanh Son’s side can challenge in Group E.

A second consecutive defeat, though, would make the going tough for Binh Duong and Thanh Son is aware of the difficulties facing his team at Hitachi Kashiwa Stadium.

“We haven’t ever beaten a Japanese club in the AFC Champions League so far and Kashiwa are a very skillful team and a very strong team,” explained Thanh Son, who pinpointed the threat of the South American contingent in the Kashiwa ranks.

“They also have some very good Brazilian players and Leandro will probably be their most dangerous player in the match.”

ABRAMOV TO RING CHANGES AS LOKOMOTIV SEEK FIRST WIN

Tashkent: Coach Vadim Abramov will ring the changes as continental debutants Lokomotiv seek to claim a first-ever win in the AFC Champions League at home to Iran champions Foolad Khouzestan on Wednesday.

The Uzbekistan Cup winners lost last week’s Group C opener 3-1 to 2014 finalists Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia having also claimed a runner-up finish in the domestic top-flight last season to earn a maiden AFC Champions League appearance.

Lokomotiv fell two-goals behind inside the first 15 minutes in Riyadh, and despite Sardor Mirzayev netting before half-time, Al Hilal made sure of the win with just under 20 minutes remaining.

“We will make some changes tomorrow to our squad if we compare it to the game against Al Hilal,” said Lokomotiv coach Abramov.

“Lokomotiv haven’t won a match in this competition and we want to reach our first victory. Our aim is to win our first match in the ACL.

“The team is ready for the game and all of our players are available to play against Foolad.

“We didn’t know that Foolad are unbeaten in the last nine games in the AFC Champions League, so will look to break our unsuccessful run as well as Foolad’s unbeaten run.

“We will try to score early as it will give us motivation.”

Foolad coach Dragan Skocic will be forced into at least one change with midfielder Mehdi Badrloo suspended after the midfielder was sent-off in last week’s goalless draw at home to Qatar’s Al Sadd.

Last week’s stalemate means Foolad are unbeaten in their last nine games in the AFC Champions League having exited in the Round of 16 last year despite losing a game.

Skocic’s side, though, have failed to win in their last three outings in all competitions having lost their last two Iran Pro League fixtures prior to last week’s draw with Al Sadd.

“There are strong teams in our group and all the teams have equal chances. I think each team can go to the final of the tournament from our group,” said Foolad coach Skocic.

“I watched Lokomotiv`s game in the first round. They lost concentration in the beginning and conceded goals, but they played good football in that game.

“We couldn`t win in the last three matches, but such events happen sometimes.

“We have strikers who can play very fast and they can create dangerous moments.”