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Kashima Antlers vs Newcastle Jets |
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|---|---|---|
2019 Asian Champions League, Play-off round |
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| Venue: Kashima Soccer Stadium, Kashima, Japan | ||
| Match time: Fulltime | ||
| Kashima Antlers | Newcastle Jets | |
| 4 | SCORE | 1 |
| Antlers | Time | Jets |
|---|---|---|
| S.Ito | 18' | |
| 23' | R.Vargas | |
| S.Yamamoto | 32' | |
| Serginho | 67' | |
| Serginho | 90+1' |
A spot in the Asian Champions League group stage goes on the line when defending champions the Kashima Antlers host a likely to be fatigued Newcastle Jets in Japan. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 9pm (AEDT).
It’s a story of contrasting form and preparations coming into this game, and for the Jets, they are looking straight up a brick wall to try and win this match.
This will be their third match in seven days, with this one the toughest of the lot against a strong Japanese side, away from home and on the back of a long-haul flight.
Needing extra time to win the second round play-off match against Persija Jakarta wasn’t part of the plan either, but they played well during that extra half hour, then carried that form across to a Friday night victory in the A-League against Melbourne City.
That 3-1 performance came as a shock and kept a glimmer of hope alive for the seventh-placed Jets in their pursuit of the finals, but the ACL may be their best chance to do anything this season.
On the other side of the coin, the Antlers have finished their domestic season in Japan, with their last competitive game being played on December 22 – almost two months ago – at the Club World Cup, where they lost comprehensively to River Plate.
They did play a friendly last week against a second-tier team in Japan, but that won’t be adequate preparation for a game of this stature.
Kashima won the Asian Champions League in 2018, but could only scrape into the qualifying rounds for 2019 after finishing third in the Japanese League.
They struggled defensively at times, but were far from poor, and at home, it’s little surprise to see them come in as favourites against the battling Jets.
The biggest problem they face here is a lack of match fitness. They could be slow to start and if that’s the case, the Jets will have to start fast, because the chance of them being at the top of their game for the 90 (or 120) minutes seems slim.
Whereas the Jets were able to run and be the fitter side against Jakarta, that won’t happen here, so their best shot could be to get a lead and defend it.
The Jets must defend well and hope the front combination of Roy O’Donovan and Riley McGree are better than they have been in recent weeks at putting away opportunities.
The Antlers, on the other hand, will look to Yuma Suzuki to do the damage. The striker was player of the tournament last year, and with their pace out of midfield, they could look to press and burn Newcastle on the counter-attack.
Prediction
It’s tough to see the Jets winning here, meaning their ACL campaign will come to an end in Japan. Kashima to advance.
Kashima 2 – Newcastle 1.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of this playoff match from 9pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below.
Kick-off: 9pm (AEDT)
Venue: Kashima Soccer Stadium, Japan
TV: Live, Fox Sports 505
Online: Live, Foxtel app, Foxtel now, Kayo Sports
Betting: Antlers $1.36, Jets $6
Matsu
Roar Rookie
At the risk of "sticking the boot in", I think it is critical to point out that this was FAAAAAAAAR from a top-notch J.League side. If you stretch the definition you could probably claim that four of the starters for Kashima on Tuesday are "first-stringers", but two of those are Koreans (a keeper and a central defender!) and one a Brazilian. Essentially, the players who were passing the Jets into vertigo are young second-stringers and recently-acquired journeymen veterans making their first appearances for a new team. When you fill in those details, the run of play looks even MORE disturbing from an Australian's perspective. Australian teams (both NT and club) have always exhibited first-class athleticism, and they still do. That remains a part of the game that teams from Oz can try to exploit and get some wins. But by now, all Asian opponents recognize this, and are doing whatever they can to close the "physical" gap. Meanwhile teams from not only Japan, Korea and China, but also Thailand and Vietnam are starting to field players who have been developing advanced technical skills since they were 8 or 9. The only way you can compete is to start making sure that all young players in Australia develop the same fundamentals. I cant understand why this is not top of the TO Do list for every team from NT to the Kalgoorlie Kiddie's League, and the top topic for every football-friendly pundit and kibbitzer in the country.
jbinnie
Guest
Stevo - When the article I am talking about was published Mark Bosnich was 2 years old. That article was written in 1975 and we had to wait another 32 years for some Dutch master coach ,at some great expense, tell us exactly the same thing in the first edition of the acclaimed NC, which has apparently now been disregarded by his successor, who finished up after re-writing that auspicious document. My question again, why is it taking so long to get through to our juniors.? Cheers jb.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
To be fair jb, I reckon Bosnich and others have been saying this for many years. It's just that games like this smack you in the eye (again) and get's you focused on the key technical issues in our game in Oz.
jbinnie
Guest
Scott -One again another lesson on how far behind the top Asian clubs we have fallen. This was like watching a game of tradesmen playing apprentices and to be honest at times became a bit embarrassing as pass after pass went from a Jet's foot straight to the opposition. That ability to "find a man" was the essential difference to this game and is again an example of how tactically our game has moved on from the much vaunted "Barca System" The passing accuracy, speed of movement on and off the ball, and downright superiority of each player,left Jets with an "impossible " mountain to climb. As an aside, it amused me greatly to hear our top football pundit,Bossa, in his after match comments, wax lyrical about how we have to get our junior coaches to start playing small sided games on small pitches in an effort to improve our first touch, passing, and reaction time among our kids. I have an Australian football magazine article dated 1975 saying exactly the same thing. It's taking a while (40 years) to penetrate, is it not?. Cheers jb.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thanks for joining me this evening on The Roar for our live coverage of the 2019 Asian Champions League. Hopefully you enjoyed the call. Join us again this weekend for each and every A-League game, then from March 5 for the group stages of the ACL as we track the progress of Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC. Bye for now.
Scott Pryde
Expert
Ah, right... Still no.
Scott Pryde
Expert
The group stage of the Asian Champions League kicks off on March 5. Here are the group fixtures for the Melbourne Victory (Group F) and Sydney FC (Group H).
Melbourne Victory
Tuesday, March 5, 7:30pm – vs Daegu FC (South Korea) at AAMI Park
Tuesday, March 12, TBC – vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan)/Chiangrai United (Thailand) at away
Wednesday, April 10, 10pm – vs Guangzhou Evergrande at Guangzhou
Tuesday, April 23, 7:30pm – vs Guangzhou Evergrande at AAMI Park
Wednesday, May 8, 8pm – vs Daegu FC at Daegu
Wednesday, May 22, 7:30pm – vs Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Japan)/Chiangrai United at AAMI Park
Sydney FC
Wednesday, March 6, 8pm – vs Ulsan Hyundai* at Jubilee Oval
Wednesday, March 13, 9pm – vs Kawasaki Frontale at Kawasaki
Wednesday, April 10, 7:30pm – vs Shanghai SIPG at Jubilee Oval
Tuesday, April 23, 9:30pm – vs Shanghai SIPG at Shanghai
Tuesday, May 7, 8:30pm (TBC) – vs Ulsan Hyundai* at Ulsan
Tuesday, May 21, 7:30pm – vs Kawasaki Frontale at Jubilee Oval
The Roar will have each and every one of those games live.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
A bridge too far for the Jets but it was quality opposition. No shame overall and they'll definitely learn from this experience. Well done.
Jordan Klingsporn
Roar Guru
Disappointing from the Jetters. Hopefully PGFC can go a bit better next year.
Chen Yang
Roar Pro
Haha i meant afc cup the 2nd tier comp not afc champs league:D
Scott Pryde
Expert
Thoughts on the match Roarers?
Scott Pryde
Expert
FULLTIME Well, the tough play-off draw has proven too much for the Newcastle Jets, who have fallen by three goals away from home against the Kashima Antlers. Playing their third game in seven days, the Jets had some good moments in the first half, but it was the Antlers who ran away with it at the end of the day, with this boding well for them as the defending champions enter the ACL Group Stage and finish their preparations for the new J-League season on the right foot. Serginho had a second half double and will look like the star of the show on the score sheet, but with the Jets defence struggling, it was Hiroki Abe who was the real star, with the young gun not putting a foot wrong during his 80 minutes on the field. The Jets weren't terrible in the first half and Ronald Vargas had them tied up one-all at one point, but that was all Newcastle had to cheer about in the end as their ACL campaign comes crashing to the ground. Kashima Antlers 4 Newcastle Jets 1
Scott Pryde
Expert
90 + 3' - Well, this one is over. The Jets will keep searching for a consolation goal, but they put a through ball behind for a goal kick here. Not sure 4-1 is a real reflection on the game, but the Antlers have definitely been the better side. Kashima Antlers 4 Newcastle Jets 1
Scott Pryde
Expert
90 + 1' - GOAL ANTLERS, SERGINHO The Antlers have another. Poor defence off the goal kick, then it's a ball across the penalty box from Yamaguchi, with Serginho at the back post, and he puts one in. Kashima Antlers 4 Newcastle Jets 1
Stevo
Roar Rookie
LOVELY GOAL!
Scott Pryde
Expert
90' - Five minutes of stoppage time Kashima Antlers 3 Newcastle Jets 1
Scott Pryde
Expert
90' - Sun-Tae grimacing and gritting his teeth. Then he smiles and boots the ball to halfway. Ah, yep, that's the stuff.. Anyway, this one will just wind down now. Probably three or minutes of stoppage time. Kashima Antlers 3 Newcastle Jets 1
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Oh Roy, he has a habit of whacking a goal keeper or two. That was stupid.
Scott Pryde
Expert
89' - Sun-Tae looks like he has been shot, rather than just had his foot stood on... Kashima Antlers 3 Newcastle Jets 1
Scott Pryde
Expert
88' - YELLOW CARD - ROY O'DONOVAN (Newcastle Jets) Free kick just over halfway for the Jets here. Sheppard up field to Boogaard, then his aerial through ball is for O'Donovan, but the Antlers have stacked the defence and survive here, before the ball comes back in and O'Donovan takes out Sun-Tae. Kashima Antlers 3 Newcastle Jets 1