Harry Kewell said his Yokohama F-Marinos players can “withstand any pressure” after beating Ulsan Hyundai 5-4 on penalties on Wednesday to set up the Asian Champions League final against Al Ain.
Former Liverpool and Leeds striker Kewell’s side overcame a thrilling semi-final that ended 3-3 on aggregate to reach the Champions League final for the first time.
Trailing 1-0 in last week’s first leg in South Korea, Yokohama scored three goals in the first 30 minutes in Japan, but conceded two goals and had a player sent off before half-time.
Goalkeeper William Popp saved Ulsan’s Kim Min-woo in the penalty shootout to give Yokohama the lead in steady rain, before Carlos Eduardo converted the decisive penalty.
Kewell, who took over as Yokohama coach at the start of the year, said he told his players that “the toughest games you will play are the semi-finals”.
“I said, ‘Nothing easy in this game’,” said the Australian.
“You will be pushed to the limit where I believe you can handle it.
“I think that showed them tonight, they believe they can handle any type of pressure now.”
Yokohama will host Al Ain in the first leg of the final, on May 11th, and the return leg will be held in the United Arab Emirates, on May 25th.
Al Ain beat Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal 5-4 on aggregate on Tuesday to reach the final.
Yokohama looked certain to join them after a blistering start to the second leg, but two goals for Ulsan and a 39th-minute red card for defender Takumi Kamijima heightened the tension.
Ulsan surrounded Yokohama’s goal, but Kewell said his players grew in stature as the game progressed.
“The players were calm and confident,” he said.
“They were getting stronger and stronger as they got closer to the final whistle.”
– ‘I was born to play’ –
Ulsan, who had already secured their place in next year’s 32-team Club World Cup in the United States by winning the first leg of the semi-finals, were chasing a third Champions League title.
“My players continued until the end,” said coach Hong Myung-bo.
“It’s a shame because we had a lot of opportunities to score in both the first and second legs.”
Yokohama took the lead in the 13th minute when a defensive mix-up between Kim Young-gwon and Hwang Seok-ho allowed Asahi Uenaka to break through and score.
Anderson Lopes scored the second in the 21st minute, firing a left-footed shot from inside the box.
The home team kept up the pressure and Uenaka scored his second goal in the half hour when he slipped his marker and shot past goalkeeper Jo Hyeon-woo.
But when everything seemed about to turn into a rout, Ulsan hit back when Matheus Sales headed straight in from a corner in the 35th minute.
Moments later, Ulsan took a penalty and Yokohama were reduced to 10 men when Kamijima was red carded for a hand ball as he slid in to make a tackle.
Substitute Darijan Bojanic, who came on in the 34th minute, made no penalty errors.
Kewell admitted that Yokohama “sometimes took advantage of our luck” in resisting Ulsan, but said his players “deserved everything they got”.
“Let’s enjoy the final,” he said.
“You don’t get the chance to play in many finals in your career, so when you do, take advantage and play the way you were born to play.”
amk/dhw
