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Defender Robert Cornthwaite redeemed a first-leg own goal to crown Adelaide United as the first Australian team to reach the last four of the AFC Champions League last night.
Adelaide eliminated Japanese champion Kashima Antlers with a 1-0 victory in their second-leg quarterfinal at Hindmarsh Stadium, in front of a record 16,965 fans.
Cornthwaite headed the winner in the 73rd minute to erase his agony of netting an own goal in the away tie last week and sent Adelaide United through 2-1 on aggregate.
Adelaide’s tense win sets up a likely semifinal with either Saipa of Iran or Uzbekistan’s FC Bunyodkor in next month’s two-legged semi-finals.
Kashima missed the inspiration of injured captain Mitsuo Ogasawara but striker Shinzoh Kohrogi had enough chances before halftime to possibly halt Adelaide’s progress.
He volleyed neatly on the turn in the eighth minute but straight into the waiting arms of Adelaide keeper Eugene Galekovic at the near post.
Kohrogi found space in the penalty area in the 12th minute and forced Galekovic to palm his delicate, goalbound chip away for a corner.
But they soon responded when midfielder Diego released fellow Brazilian Cassio on the left in the 17th minute and he squared for captain Travis Dodd staring at an open goal but Dodd mysteriously missed the golden pass completely from six metres out.
Dodd caused the Antlers’ defence headaches in the first half with his pace on the right and he beat two defenders in the 21st minute before squaring a cross for Paul Agostino in the penalty box which just eluded him.
But Cassio’s sweet cross into the box after a Paul Reid shot was barely parried by the Antlers’ keeper set up Cornthwaite’s fairytale winner with a stooping header from about five metres out.
The goal stretched Adelaide’s sterling, 2008 AFC champions league winning record to eight matches.
The only negative for Adelaide was a caution for pivotal centre half Sasha Ogenovski in the 55th minute for a tug on Kohrogi, which means he’ll be suspended for the first leg of the semi-final match up after also being booked in Japan in the first leg of the tie.
Buoyed by the tense victory, Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar said the sky was the limit for his team.
“You have to believe it when you get this far,” he said.
“We asked for total passion and commitment tonight and that’s what we got.
“For a club side like us to get to a semifinal of the Asian Champions League is an incredible achievement,” said Vidmar.
“I think we’ve probably shocked Asia.”
He praised his side’s sprightly approach to training for the match after some 12 days on the road and playing four matches including A League losses to Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC either side of their first leg in Japan.
“The way we went about it was fantastic tonight,” he said.
“And I was really happy with the way the players turned up for training on Monday ready to tackle this challenge.”
Vidmar praised goalscorer Cornthwaite for his determination and resilience after his errant own goal in the first leg.
“He (Cornthwaite) said that was a better finish (tonight) with a smile,” he said.
“You’ve got to hand it to him. Despite the own goal, he was endeavouring to play the best game possible and found the energy to join in the attack from which he scored.”
Vidmar said Adelaide United officials would probably seek to have some A-League fixtures changed by the FFA to accommodate their semifinals and preparations with the ACL matches set for October 8 and 22.
Kashima’s Brazilian coach Oswaldo de Oliveira Filho said his team missed captain Ogasawara and defender Toru Araiba.
“We had too many changes (to the team),” he said.
“This really hurt us.”
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