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Shenzhen lose ground on leaders
(footballasia.com)
Updated: 2005-05-12 09:09
Shenzhen Jianlibao will have to beat Suwon Samsung Bluewings in Korea in two
weeks time if they are to progress to the quarter-final of the AFC Champions
League after going down 3-0 to Jubilo Iwata on Wednesday evening.
Disappointment for
Shenzhen as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat to Jubilo Iwata [Yumiko
Nagae/WSG] |
Three goals after the break from Keisuke Funatani and a double from
second-half substitute Yoshiaki Ohta ensured that Jubilo avenged the 1-0 defeat
they suffered at the hands of Shenzhen on Matchday One of Asia’s premier club
competition.
The loss, Shenzhen’s first of the competition, coupled with Suwon’s 6-0
demolition of Hoang Anh Gia Lai in the group’s other game means that Chi
Changbin’s side need to take all three points to overhaul the K-Leaguers.
Given the fact that Jubilo’s interest in the tournament has already ended,
Shenzhen’s defeat has handed the advantage in the group to the Koreans, who are
riding high after winning the Hauzen Cup at the weekend.
Jubilo may have only been playing for pride but they thoroughly deserved the
win, which may serve as the springboard for MasakuniYamamoto’s side to improve
their domestic form.
With Robetrt Cullen and Rodrigo Gral leading the line for Jubilo, the home
side dominated the first half, restricting the visitors to a couple of
opportunities on the break.
Cullen had the first opportunity of the game after just five minutes when he
the 19-year-old hooked a first-time volley wide after being put through Gral,
whose industry caused problems all night for the visitors.
Shenzhen hardly managed to make it out of their half in the first 15 minutes
and it wasn’t until the 16th minute that they had their first real attack, Li Yi
dragging a shot wide off the far post from a tight angle.
Four minutes later, only the woodwork prevented Jubilo from taking the lead.
Gral, picking the ball up from deep, twisted and turned his way past Zhang
Yonghai on the left before cutting inside and curling a shot from just outside
the box over Shenzhen keeper Li Lei Lei and onto the top of the bar.
The best chance of the half fell to Jubilo with Cullen once again the
architect with a cut-back from the bye-line into the path of Gral would have
scored from close range but for a brave intervention from Marek Zajac.
Shenzhen had their best chance of the game just seven minutes after the
restart when Li Yi played a clever pass behind the Jubilo defence into the path
of striker Djima Abiodun Oyawole. He had time to look up and pick his spot but
his powerful drive from the top of the box flew inches past Li Lei Lei’s far
post.
The miss proved to be disastrous for the J.Leaguers because four minute later
Jubilo took the lead.
Cullen weaved his way down the left flank and, after beating Zajac with some
neat foot-work, cut the ball into the path of Funatani, who only had to
side-foot the ball wide of Li Lei Lei from eight yards out.
Shenzhen should have levelled 10 minutes later when midfielder Li Fei jinked
his way past a couple of Jubilo defenders into the box but his shot was too
close to Yohei Sato, who gathered at the second attempt.
Moments later, a cross from the right by Li Yi deflected off the back of Shun
Morishita and onto the underside of the bar with Sato beaten.
Jubilo doubled the lead on 80 minutes when slack marking allowed Funatani to
play a behind the Shenzhen defence into the path of Ohta who finished under the
diving body of Li Lei Lei.
Funatani’s 20-yard effort on 86 minutes should have been saved by the
Shenzhen keeper but, by this stage, the damage had been done.
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