FC Tokyo snap winless streak ahead of Jiangsu clash

Published on: 03 April 2016

Tokyo: FC Tokyo will head into next Wednesday’s AFC Champions League meeting with Jiangsu FC on the back of a win but were made to work before seeing off Nagoya Grampus 3-2 in the J.League on Saturday.

In a thrilling encounter at the Tokyo Stadium, Akira Takeuchi fired Nagoya in front after 17 minutes, only for the hosts to equalise with a penalty from captain Masato Morishige.

Sota Hirayama then struck to put Tokyo in front in the 70th minute, but this time it was the visitors who managed to respond through Kensuke Nagai’s equaliser just six minutes later.

However, Hiroshi Jofuku’s charges refused to give in and centre-back Morishige popped up to score again in the 81st minute with what ultimately proved to be the winner, although his evening ended on a sour note when he was sent off with five minutes remaining after being shown a straight red.

Still, that did little to dampen the celebrations from the Tokyo camp at the final whistle as they notched their first win in three outings, ahead of next week’s tricky continental clash at home to Jiangsu.

With four points from their opening three matches, the Japanese side are currently third in Group E, a point behind their upcoming Chinese opponents and two behind leaders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.

Japan’s other Champions League representatives in domestic action on Saturday, Gamba Osaka, did not have such fortune as they threw away a lead in a 2-1 loss to Yokohama F. Marinos at the Suita City Football Stadium.

Ademilson had broken the deadlock for Gamba in the 19th minute, which was cancelled out by a strike from veteran playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura five minutes before the break.

And in the 70th minute, Curacao international Quenten Martinus scored his first goal for Marinos since joining in the off-season to hand them the win, inflicting a third consecutive loss on their opponents in the process.

Gamba will now be looking to bounce back on Wednesday when they entertain China’s Shanghai SIPG in Group G, where they currently lie third on the table and three points outside the top two.

Photo: Lagardère Sports

 

Source: the-afc.com

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