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Played
December 8, 2011 5:45 AM EST
Toyota Stadium — Toyota
Referee: N. Rizzoli
Attendance: 18754
December 8, 2011 5:45 AM EST
Toyota Stadium — Toyota
Referee: N. Rizzoli
Attendance: 18754
Kashiwa Reysol 2-0 Auckland City: Japanese champion open Club World Cup campaign with comfortable win
In the tournament's opening match, host Reysol out shot New Zealand-based opponents in what was mostly an uneventful 90 minutes for both sides.
By Dan Orlowitz
Getty Images
J-League champion Kashiwa Reysol got its Club World Cup campaign off to a flying start with a 2-0 win over amateur side Auckland City on Thursday at Toyota Stadium.
The Oceania League champion was keenly aware of the challenge it faced in tempering Reysol’s explosive attack, and responded to the host representative’s 4-4-1-1 formation with what could practically be described as a six-man back line.
By the 22nd minute, Reysol had already earned four corner kicks but neither side truly asserted control. Finally in the 37th minute, Reysol forward Junya Tanaka muscled his way around Auckland defender Alex Feneridis on the left side before releasing a tight-angled shot that goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley had little chance of stopping.
The club doubled its lead just three minutes later when Leandro’s free kick rebounded off the right post and eventually fell to 21-year-old Masato Kudo, who hammered the ball for a 2-0 lead that Reysol took into the locker room at halftime.
The second half introduced new challenges for both sides as a rapid drop in temperature caused a sudden fog to fall on the stadium, slightly reducing visibility. Reysol sustained a potentially serious blow near the 65th minute when Hiroki Sakai appeared to injure his knee and eventually limped off the pitch to be substituted by former Celtic player Koki Mizuno.
Auckland’s best chance came in the 79th minute on a free kick just outside the penalty area. Mulligan’s shot looped perfectly over the wall and would have slid under the post if not for Takanori Sugeno’s super save. His efforts were needed just seconds later after the ensuing corner but Reysol preserved the lead and survived the rest of the match without incident.
Reysol next faces CONCACAF Champions League winner Monterrey in a quarterfinal match on Sunday evening.
The Oceania League champion was keenly aware of the challenge it faced in tempering Reysol’s explosive attack, and responded to the host representative’s 4-4-1-1 formation with what could practically be described as a six-man back line.
By the 22nd minute, Reysol had already earned four corner kicks but neither side truly asserted control. Finally in the 37th minute, Reysol forward Junya Tanaka muscled his way around Auckland defender Alex Feneridis on the left side before releasing a tight-angled shot that goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley had little chance of stopping.
The club doubled its lead just three minutes later when Leandro’s free kick rebounded off the right post and eventually fell to 21-year-old Masato Kudo, who hammered the ball for a 2-0 lead that Reysol took into the locker room at halftime.
The second half introduced new challenges for both sides as a rapid drop in temperature caused a sudden fog to fall on the stadium, slightly reducing visibility. Reysol sustained a potentially serious blow near the 65th minute when Hiroki Sakai appeared to injure his knee and eventually limped off the pitch to be substituted by former Celtic player Koki Mizuno.
Auckland’s best chance came in the 79th minute on a free kick just outside the penalty area. Mulligan’s shot looped perfectly over the wall and would have slid under the post if not for Takanori Sugeno’s super save. His efforts were needed just seconds later after the ensuing corner but Reysol preserved the lead and survived the rest of the match without incident.
Reysol next faces CONCACAF Champions League winner Monterrey in a quarterfinal match on Sunday evening.
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