Yokohama F.Marinos, a club from Japan take advantage in the first match after beating Shandong Taishan, a club from China scoring 2-1 in the AFC Champions League 2023/24 Quarter-Final first leg at Jinan Olympic Sports Centre, Jinan.
Yokohama FM entered enemy territory and took the score early in the 7th minute. When Anderson López pulled out a vertical pass in the center of the opponent’s half and tried to break through on his own, Ren Kato picked up the ball and swung it with his right foot. This shot was blocked by the defender, but Anderson López received the ball inside the box, turned the ball around, and smashed it into the left corner of the goal with his left foot, giving the team a good start.
Shandong Taishan were one point behind in the 19th minute, when Valeri Kazaishvili took a close shot after stealing the ball inside the opponent’s half, but Yokohama FM’s goalkeeper Pope William made a brilliant save to prevent the team from scoring.
In the 25th minute, Yokohama FM created a decisive opportunity with a fast vertical attack. With a long feed from the back, Élber slipped deep into the left side of the opponent’s half and passed to Anderson López in the center of the box. Anderson López connected further to the side, and Jan Matthäus, who was waiting, fired a shot, but it was blocked by a good save from the opposing goalkeeper and no further points were scored.
In the 29th minute, Shandong Taishan created a decisive opportunity with Fernandinho opening on the right, but his strong header from close range went wide of the target, giving it away.
After that, Shandong Taizan, receiving the loud cheers from the home team, continued to push forward with the match. In the 42nd minute, Yokohama FM had more time to defend, and Asahi Uenaka, who took the near zone on the left after exchanging passes with Élber, returned to the center, but Anderson López’s volley went over the frame and resulted in no additional points. The first half ended at 0-1.
Trailing by one point, Shandong Taishan increased their pressure from the start of the second half. In the 48th minute, they created a chance with a cross from the right, and Matheus Pato tried to head the ball in at the near side, but goalkeeper Pope William made a save.
In the 54th minute, Fernandinho sent a cross from the right, and after a scramble in front of the goal, Pato was able to finish it off, but his shot hit the right post. On the other hand, in the 59th minute for Yokohama FM, substitute Ryo Miyaichi came up the left side and sent a cross, and A. López took a shot from close range, but it did not result in an additional point.
In the 69th minute, amidst an intense battle on the ball, Yokohama FM created a chance with Miyaichi’s dribbling breakthrough, and they were able to take the ball back at the front line and use it for their secondary attack. Élber received the ball on the left and passed it to the front center of the box, where Jan Matthäus was waiting and sent a well-aimed shot into the bottom right corner of the goal, extending the lead to two points.
After that, Shandong Taizan used a lot of crosses from the sides and created many chances, but Yokohama FM also showed a concentrated response in the final phase.
In the 90+1 minute, substitute Chen Pu hit a jumping volley from a cross from the left side, reducing the lead to one point. Things got rough in the final stages, with staff from both teams being shown red cards, but the match ended 1-2, with Yokohama FM winning first.
In the second leg, Yokohama F.Marinos will be back to home team at Yokohama International Stadium on the 13 March.
Credit Photo : AFC
