Kawasaki: Captain and two-goal hero Yu Kobayashi enjoyed an unusual double celebration on Wednesday following Kawasaki Frontale’s 3-1 AFC Champions League quarter-final second leg victory over Urawa Red Dimaonds at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium.
The forward netted the hosts’ first and third goals and, while putting his side in good stead for the return meeting in three weeks’ time, also earned himself the fruity favour of the home support.
“The Frontale fans always give a pineapple for each goal to the players,” said the Kawasaki skipper.
“I’ll enjoy these ones at home with my family.”
Last month in the J.League , Kobayashi also scored twice against Urawa but his goals on Wednesday were arguably even more important and ensured Kawasaki take a giant step towards a first-ever place In the AFC Champions League semi-finals after two previous exits at the last eight stage.
“It was very important to win today’s game and we wanted to score as many goals as we could and win,” said Kobayashi.
“For the first goal Kengo [Nakamura] broke through and cut the ball back and I was in a lot of space so all I had to do was tuck the ball in.
“We then had a few scares at 2-1 but then Aki (Ienaga) dribbled into a really deep area and I felt that the ball would absolutely arrive at the far post and lost my marker well to score.
“If it had finished 2-1, we had the feeling that the next game would become very difficult, so once we’d conceded the away goal it was incredibly important for us to get that third goal.
Yuki Muto’s 76th minute strike for the visitors does give Urawa that precious away goal, however, and the Saitama club also recovered from a two-goal deficit from the first leg against Korea Republic’s Jeju United in the Round of 16.
Nevertheless, the 29-year-old Kobayashi is fully focused on the task at hand when the J.League sides clash again on September 13.
"Of course we are thinking about away goals and all sorts of things [looking ahead to the next game],” he added.
“But we know that if we win the game then there will be no problems and we can finish it in the next game.
“All we’re thinking about now is making sure we win the next leg.”
Photos: Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com