Yokohama F. Marinos emerged victorious in the first leg of the AFC Champions League final against Al Ain with a narrow 2-1 win in Japan. Mohammed Abbas opened the scoring for Al Ain in the 12th minute, but Yokohama’s Asahi Uenaka equalized in the second half before Kota Watanabe scored the winner six minutes from time. The second leg will take place in the UAE in two weeks.
Former professional football players turned coaches, Harry Kewell and Hernan Crespo, faced off as coaches for the first time in almost 20 years. Kewell and Crespo famously met as players in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul, where Kewell’s Liverpool came from behind to draw 3-3 and win on penalties. Kewell has led Yokohama to their first Champions League final just four months after joining the club, while Al Ain, the UAE’s most successful club, are playing in the final for the fourth time.
Yokohama made a strong start in front of their home fans with Elber and Yan Matheus both having early attempts at goal. However, Al Ain took the lead with Abbas’ goal in the early stages of the match. Despite Yokohama’s efforts to equalize, including an impressive save by Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa, they struggled to find the back of the net. Uenaka eventually leveled the score in the 72nd minute with a header off of Matheus’s cross, before Watanabe scored the winning goal in the 84th minute.
Al Ain thought they had scored a second goal in the first half, but it was ruled out for offside after a VAR check. Yokohama had their own disallowed goal with Watanabe initially flagged offside before it was allowed to stand upon review. The win gives Yokohama a valuable advantage going into the second leg of the final.
Yokohama’s victory over Al Ain marks a significant milestone for the Japanese club, while Al Ain will be looking to bounce back in the second leg on their home turf. The matchup between Kewell and Crespo, both former football stars turned coaches, adds an extra layer of intrigue to the competition. With the second leg set to take place in the UAE, both teams will be looking to secure the AFC Champions League title and etch their names in football history.
