SAF 1-4 Kashima Antlers: Japanese champions too good for rivals

SINGAPORE: Japanese champions Kashima Antlers claimed their second consecutive win in Group G of the AFC Champions League after overpowering Singapore Armed Forces 4-1 at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Tuesday.

Having fallen behind to a Masashi Motoyama volley in the 23rd minute, the home side responded superbly to equalise with a Hafiz Osman header two minutes later.

But Atsuto Uchida restored Kashima’s lead on the counter-attack three minutes before the break and Yuya Osako headed home early in the second half to make it 3-1.

SAF skipper Aleksandar Duric missed a penalty for the home side before the visitors sealed an emphatic win with a Daniel Bennett own goal in stoppage time.

The visitors were quickly out of the blocks and went close after two minutes as Takuya Nozawa pulled the ball back from the right towards Park Joo-ho, who blazed over from 20 metres.

SAF goalkeeper Shahril Jantan did well to bravely smother Uchida’s low cut-back at the feet of Marquinhos in the 18th minute but was left helpless when Kashima took the lead five minutes later.

Nozawa burst down the right flank and drifted a cross to the far post where Motoyama was left completely unattended to smash a volley past Shahril from six yards.

The home side quickly got back on level terms. Therdsak Chaiman floated in a free-kick from the left that was missed in the middle by Duric but found Hafiz who sent a towering header past Hitoshi Sogahata.

But Kashima regained the lead just three minutes before half-time when Mitsuo Ogasawara picked up the ball just outside his own box after an SAF corner and ran 60 yards with the ball before laying it off for an unmarked Uchida, who curled a low shot past a badly-exposed Shahril.

The visitor extended their advantage two minutes into the second half when Brazilian striker Marquinhos clipped the ball back from the right byline for Osako to power home a header from point blank range

SAF had a great opportunity to pull a goal back in the 56th minute after Uchida pulled down Park Tae-won in the box but Duric’s penalty was struck at a nice height for Sogahata, who dived to his right to turn the ball aside.

Marquinhos went close on a number of occasions to extending Kashima’s lead and was only denied by a brilliant save by Shahril in the 89th minute.

But Kashima would get their fourth in the third minute of stoppage time when Bennett, under no pressure, diverted Aoki’s cross from the right past Shahril.