AFCCL - Kawasaki Frontale coach Takashi
Sekizuka feels that his team have the upper hand going into the second leg
of the AFC Champions League quarter final with Iranian side Sepahan next
week.
Backed by a small but vocal band of away fans, Frontale emerged as the
better team in a largely scrappy goalless draw at Foolad Shahr Stadium in
Esfahan on Wednesday.
The Japanese side will now fancy their chances of an appearance in the
semi-finals of the competition when they host the reigning Iranian Hazfi Cup
holders in the return match at Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium next week.
“We must repeat this performance in the next match,” said Sekizuka in a
brief press conference after the match.
“We had lots of chances in the match and we saw that we are good enough to
win.
“But in the second leg, we must learn to convert our chances.”
Sepahan went into the match as favourites following their flying start to
the Iran Pro League season which has seen them win four out of five matches.
But the Japanese side belied their poor recent form of one win in six
J.League matches, creating the majority of clear-cut chances.
The match was preceded by a row about the size of the pitch at the Foolad
Shahr stadium with Kawasaki unsuccessfully appealing for the width to be
narrowed from 75 metres to 68.
But when asked about the issue on Wednesday, Sekizuka diplomatically
responded that it was no different to any other.