Harry Kewell’s Yokohama F-Marinos suffered a defeat to Al Ain in the Asian Champions League final on Saturday. The Japanese side, led by Kewell as their coach, had a 2-1 lead from the first leg but lost the second leg 5-1 in the United Arab Emirates. Just before half-time, goalkeeper William Popp was sent off, adding to their woes.
Despite the loss, Kewell expressed determination for his team to bounce back from the defeat. He emphasized that they would use the experience as motivation for the future and ensure they never faced a similar outcome again. Kewell took over as coach in late December and vowed that they would go one step further in the competition next time.
The match was not without controversy, as Popp’s red card and Kewell’s criticism of Al Ain’s sportsmanship raised eyebrows. Kewell was particularly upset by the refereeing decisions and believed his team had been treated unfairly. However, he saw it as an opportunity to fuel their performance in future games and learn from the experience.
Al Ain emerged victorious with two goals from Rahimi, a Kaku penalty, and Kodjo Laba’s late double. Yokohama’s only goal came from Yan Matheus. Despite the defeat, Kewell remained optimistic about his team’s resilience and determination to improve. Yokohama is currently in the bottom half of the J-League table but is focused on coming back stronger in future competitions.
In conclusion, Harry Kewell and his team faced a tough challenge against Al Ain in the Asian Champions League final but despite losing 5-1 on aggregate scoreline with William Popp being sent off just before half-time; they are determined to bounce back from this defeat and improve their game for future competitions.
