Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds beat Saudi Arabian defending champions Al Hilal 1-0 to clinch their third Asian Champions League title in front of almost 55,000 home fans in Saitama, north of Tokyo. Al Hilal’s Andre Carrillo netted an own goal early in the second half to give Urawa the decisive lead in the final second leg that ended in a 2-1 aggregate win. Get the latest soccer predictions here!
“Today, we are very happy that, after a few months working hard, thinking about this game, we are winning this trophy for the fantastic supporters at this huge club,” Urawa coach Maciej Skorza said. “This is a big honor for me and it’s just amazing. It’s difficult to find a way to describe this win. “I feel the spirit of the support and it’s something special.” Don’t miss the latest football predictions today!
Both teams entered the match from a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the finals. The Japanese side had a hard-time during the first-half as pressure from Al Hilal, who were looking to win a record fifth continental title and a third in four seasons, was felt. Urawa’s Goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa produced crucial saves in the 21st and 42nd minutes to keep the game scoreless.
The game-changing moment came when Carrillo diverted a header from Urawa’s Marius Hoibraten into his own goal in the 48th minute. Al-Hilal needed a goal to equalize the match and force an extra time. However, Nishikawa reacted to block away Igahlo’s goal-bound shot in the 90th minute, and Urawa held on and denied Al-Hilal’s chance to force extra time. The stadium burst into celebration following the final whistle.
“The team played very well here, much better than in the first leg in Riyadh,” said Al Hilal coach Ramon Diaz, who also coached the club when the two teams met in the 2017 final. “They tried to create many chances, but unfortunately we couldn’t translate any of them into goals.”
Urawa beat South Korea’s Jeonbuk Motors in the semi-finals in August last year, heading to the finals against the defending champions. The final took place more than a year after the Asian Champions League season began, as delays because of the winter World Cup in Qatar and COVID-19 restrictions were observed. The Reds will now represent Asia at the 2023 FIFA World Cup in Saudi Arabia.