No you don’t: JDT’s Matthew Davies (left) vying for the ball with a Kawasaki Frontale player. — JDT FC
PETALING JAYA: Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) revisited their nightmare against Kawasaki Frontale in the AFC Champions League (ACL) as the Japanese club handed the Malaysian superpowers a 5-0 thrashing at the Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium yesterday.
Kawasaki had hurt JDT in Iskandar Puteri with the same scoreline in the group stage of last year’s campaign but the Southern Tigers managed to salvage a 0-0 draw away in Japan.
However, Kawasaki have turned on the power in this year’s AFC Champions League where they have won all their five matches in Group I thus far and have advanced to the second stage with 15 points.
The heavy defeat against Kawasaki yesterday had ended JDT’s campaign as they are currently in third place with six points.
South Korean champions Ulsan Hyundai strengthened their position to qualify as one of the six best placed teams in the 10 groups.
Ulsan defeated BG Pathum United 3-1 in Thailand to remain in second spot with nine points.
Veteran playmaker Akihiro Ienaga opened the scoring for Kawasaki in the eighth minute but JDT managed to keep the home side at bay until the second half.
However, the floodgates opened after the breather as Ienaga’s cross was headed home by Leandro Damiao in the 50th minute. Kawasaki stretched their lead further after Miki Yamane’s cross was headed past JDT goalkeeper Syihan Hazmi by Marcinho in the 60th minute.
Yu Kobayashi scored the fourth goal from close range in the 69th minute while Yamane completed JDT’s misery two minutes from time after scoring from a neatly struck goal from the edge of the box.
Even a huge win against Pathum United in Iskandar Puteri on Dec 12 may not be enough to give them any chance of making it to the next round.
JDT advanced to the knockout stage last year where they lost 0-5 to eventual champions Urawa Red Diamonds in the last 16 stage.
RESULTS
GROUP I
KAWASAKI 5 - JDT 0
PAThUM UTD 1 - ULSAN 3
