ACL: Quarter-Finals Preview (1st Leg)

Kashima Antlers (Japan)   -       Adelaide United (Australia)

The Japanese champions were the form team of the group stage, scoring 28 goals in six games but the Australian defence should provide a tougher test than the ones offered by Vietnamese and Thai backlines.

The Ibaraki club are not in the best of domestic form with just one win from the last four matches but are just three points behind leaders Nagoya. With the league’s top scorer Marquinhos still scoring for fun, the hosts will fancy their chances against Adelaide.

Adelaide has started the A-League season well, the recent Melbourne defeat notwithstanding. The most experienced Australian side in Asian terms, the Reds are still in uncharted knockout stage territory.

"Every single player is representing the country, themselves and Adelaide United," Adelaide coach Aurelio Vidmar said. "We need to pick ourselves up mentally and physically, and we need everyone to stand up. It'll be tough and only the strong will survive."  

Saipa (Iran)          -            Bunyodkor (Uzbekistan)

This clash, the only one not to feature Japanese club, promises to be a fascinating battle. Pierre Littbarksi won the 2006 A-League title with Sydney but left before he could get a taste of managing in the continental competition. He recently took over Saipa and the club has had an indifferent start to the new season in Persia. That will soon be forgotten with a place in the last four.

All eyes will be on the visitors however and new star player Rivaldo, The 1999 World Player of the Year is one of the legends of modern football. He is not doing so badly in Central Asia either, scoring two goals on his debut for the league leaders last weekend. Rivaldo joined the club in August for a fee of almost $15 million.

Al Qadsia (Kuwait)             -            Urawa Reds (Japan)

The reigning champions got a bye through to this stage after lifting the trophy in Saitama last November. Like Kashima, the team is hovering around the top of the table in Japan and lie in third place. Unlike Kashima however, Urawa have some injury worries. International pair Keita Suzuki and Tatsuya Tanaka will not be fit to make the long trip west.

"Tatsuya is not playing and Keita is not playing and these are two key players, national team players, but what can I do?" Reds manager Gert Engels said. "We have good players and they need to do their job."

"We know a lot about our opponents. They are a very aggressive team. I am confident that we can draw there (in Kuwait) and even win."

The hosts are no strangers to this competition and Wednesday marks their fourth appearance. Last season saw the 11-time Kuwaiti champions make the quarter-finals and they went one better in 2006. But a tie against the defending champions is not what they would have chosen.

Al Karama (Syria)              -            Gamba Osaka (Japan)

Gamba Osaka arrive in the intimidating Homs arena completely out of form. The Kansai club has not won in nine league and cup games. This run of poor form has seen the team slide down to eighth in the J-league and they are now completely without hope of any silverware. But on the continental scene, who knows? Unlike Kashima and Urawa, Gamba don’t have to worry about challenging on two fronts - a task that proves to be beyond most teams in Asia.

Al Karama have proven themselves to be formidable Asian opposition but seem to struggle against teams from the eastern edges of the giant continent. The Syrians reached the 2006 final where they were defeated by Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. They then were knocked out of the 2007 version at the quarter-final stage by another K-League team Seongnam Chunma. Seongnam are the only club to have come away from Al Karama’s home with a win. A draw would be enough for the Japanese.

John Duerden

Asia Editor

john.duerden@goal.com