By Michael Church
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Talking points from the week in Asian football:
ELBER’S GOAL KEEPS YOKOHAMA TOP IN JAPAN
Brazilian striker Elber scored the only goal of the game as defending champions Yokohama F Marinos beat Sanfrecce Hiroshima 1-0 to retain top spot in Japan on Saturday.
Elber’s goal, which came five minutes before the interval, moved Kevin Muscat’s side onto 39 points, three clear of second-placed Vissel Kobe, who have played a game fewer.
Kobe kept pace with the leaders with a 3-0 win over Avispa Fukuoka on Sunday, with strike duo Yuya Osako and Yoshinori Muto both on target.
ULSAN DOWN DAEGU TO MAIN COMMANDING K LEAGUE ADVANTAGE
Ulsan Hyundai continued their march toward the South Korean title on Saturday with a 3-1 win over Daegu FC to maintain their 13-point lead over Pohang Steelers.
Kim Tae-hwan put Ulsan in front with three minutes on the clock before Valeri Qazaishvili’s double secured the points for Hong Myung-bo’s team.
A goal from Brazilian forward Zeca gave Pohang a 1-0 win over Incheon United on Sunday. FC Seoul, two points further back, scored a 1-0 win over Suwon Bluewings.
SAUDI’S AL HILAL SIGN PREMIER LEAGUE DUO KOULIBALY, NEVES
Four-times Asian Champions League winners Al Hilal have signed Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea and Portugal’s Ruben Neves from Wolverhampton Wanderers as Saudi Arabian clubs continue to make an impact in the transfer market.
The pair follow N’golo Kante and Karim Benzema, who both joined Saudi Pro League champions Al Ittihad earlier in the summer, and last year’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Al Nassr.
The purchasing power of the leading clubs in Saudi Arabia received a significant boost earlier in the month when Al Ittihad, Al Ahli, Al Nassr and Al Hilal were all bought by the country’s sovereign wealth fund (PIF).
ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MAKES FULL RETURN AS DATES FINALISED
The Asian Champions League will return with the preliminary round in mid-August to start the first fully-fledged edition since the COVID pandemic started.
Travel restrictions during the pandemic saw the usual home-and-away format scrapped in 2020 in favour of matches being played in centralised bio-secure hubs.
The 2022 final, in which Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds defeated Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia, was the first to be played over two legs since the 2019 edition.
KLINSMANN LOOKING FOR QUICK FIX AFTER DISAPPOINTING START
Juergen Klinsmann has defended his underwhelming start to life as South Korea coach with the German yet to win any of his four games in charge since taking over from Paulo Bento.
The South Koreans have drawn twice and lost twice since Klinsmann was appointed in February.
“I hope I can correct that as quickly as possible because we absolutely believe we should have won all four games,” Klinsmann told a press conference in Seoul on Thursday.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
