KUALA LUMPUR: Vissel Kobe edged closer to a place in the knockout rounds of the Asian Champions League Elite on Tuesday after a late error by visiting goalkeeper Dylan Peraic-Cullen handed the Japanese champions a 3-2 win over Central Coast Mariners in Kobe.

Matias Vargas scored a hat-trick as 10-man Shanghai Port defeated South Korea’s Ulsan HD 3-1 while Japan’s Kawasaki Frontale won 3-0 over Buriram United and Shandong Taishan claimed a 1-0 win over Johor Darul Ta’zim.

Takayuki Yoshida’s Kobe side lead the east Asian standings with 13 points from the first five league phase games as clubs attempt to finish in the top eight places in the 12-team division to advance to the last 16.

Kobe were made to work for their win, seeing a two-goal lead given to them by Ryuho Kikuchi’s 40th minute header and an own goal from Storm Roux four minutes after the restart wiped out.

Hotaru Yamauchi’s own goal in the 54th minute and a strike from Bailey Brandtman with 16 minutes remaining pulled the A-League champions level.

But in the 81st minute Peraic-Cullen let Daiju Sasaki’s shot from the edge of the penalty area slip through his hands to gift Kobe the three points.

After five games, A-League champions Central Coast have one point and are a place off bottom.

Rooted to the basement are two-time Asian champions Ulsan, who were beaten at home by newly crowned Chinese title-holders Shanghai Port.

That was despite the visitors playing an hour with 10 men following the 31st-minute dismissal of Li Ang.

Shanghai were already leading 2-0 by then with Vargas scoring in the 11th and 23rd minutes.

Ulsan pulled a goal back in the second half through Joo Min-kyu before Argentine Vargas scored again with seven minutes left for his hat-trick.

Shanghai occupy eighth in the table and are one of five teams all with seven points.

Among them are fellow Chinese side Shandong Taishan, who beat Malaysia’s JDT thanks to Zeca’s 68th minute goal.

Kawasaki Frontale of Japan are third, level with second-placed Gwangju FC of South Korea, after late goals from Sota Miura, Daiya Tono and Soma Kanda secured victory over hosts Buriram of Thailand.

RONALDO, TONEY DOUBLES

On Monday, Cristiano Ronaldo netted a brace in Al-Nassr’s 3-1 win over their Qatari hosts Al-Gharafa.

The 39-year-old helped move Al Nassr to the brink of the last 16 in Asia’s premier continental club competition, needing just two points from their final three group games.

Only Al Shorta, who have two points with four games to play, can deny Ronaldo’s side a place in the next round, after Persepolis drew 1-1 at Al Rayyan.

Elsewhere, Ivan Toney came off the bench to score twice and earn Al-Ahli a 2-1 win over Al-Ain that moved the Saudi side into the knockout rounds and left the defending champions in danger of missing out on the last 16.

Toney replaced Feras Al-Brikan in the 65th minute at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium and hit both his goals in a four-minute spell to give Al-Ahli a fifth win in a row in the competition and guarantee their place in the next phase.

Al-Ahli top the western standings on 15 points, two points ahead of compatriots Al-Nassr, while Al-Ain remain rooted to the bottom on a solitary point with three games remaining.

Iran’s Esteghlal drew 0-0 with Pakhtakor from Uzbekistan

Ronaldo was a frustrated figure in the opening 45 minutes of Al-Nassr’s clash with Al-Gharafa at Al-Bayt Stadium but headed in the opener inside the first minute of the second half to send his side on their way to victory.

Angelo Gabriel rounded goalkeeper Sergio Rico to score the second 12 minutes later before the Brazilian turned provider six minutes later to tee up Ronaldo for his second in the 64th minute.

Al Gharafa pulled one back through Joselu, a former team-mate of Ronaldo at Real Madrid.

In the UAE, Toney broke the deadlock with 20 minutes remaining when he headed Riyad Mahrez’s free kick past Khalid Eisa and, four minutes later, he doubled the advantage when he combined again with the former Manchester City winger to slide in the second.

Al Ain, who in April defeated Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds to win the title, pulled one back late on through Kaka’s sublime volley.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2024