By Michael Church
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Kawasaki Frontale moved a step closer to the Asian Champions League last 16 with a 4-2 home win over Thailand’s BG Pathum United at Todoroki Stadium on Tuesday that took the Japanese side six points clear at the top of Group I.
Second half goals from Kazuya Yamamura and Taisei Miyashiro sealed the win for Frontale after BG Pathum’s Freddy Alvarez was sent off in the 56th minute for stepping on Tatsuki Seko’s calf.
Yasuto Wakizaka with a penalty and former Frontale midfielder Chanathip Songkrasin traded goals in the opening 45 minutes as the game went into the break level before Yamamura headed in the hosts’ crucial third in the 68th minute.
Kawasaki have 12 points from their opening four games in the group with Johor Darul Ta’zim joining South Korean champions Ulsan Hyundai on six points in the battle for second place after securing a late 2-1 home victory over the twice champions.
Substitute Akhyar Rashid scored the decider three minutes from time for the Malaysian side after playmaker Heberty had put the hosts in front a minute before the interval, with Ulsan’s Ataru Esaka levelling in the 69th minute.
Only the 10 group winners across Asia are sure to reach the last 16 where they will be joined by the three best runners-up from the western and eastern halves of the continent respectively.
In Group G, Chinese Super League side Shandong Taishan picked up a 3-1 win over South Korea’s Incheon United to enhance their hopes of advancing.
Li Yuanyi netted from close range nine minutes into the second half before Kweon Han-jin’s own goal and a penalty from substitute Cryzan sealed a third win in four games for Choi Kang-hee’s team.
Shandong sit second in the group, level on nine points with Japanese leaders Yokohama F Marinos who laboured to a late 2-1 win at Kaya FC-Iloilo from the Philippines in Manila.
Marinos manager Kevin Muscat fielded a weakened side but the J.League champions took the lead through Yuhi Murakami in the 26th before Daizo Horikoshi levelled 13 minutes later.
They needed an 87th minute strike into the bottom corner from substitute Yan Matheus to secure victory.
The win keeps Yokohama and Shandong three points clear of third-placed Incheon United while Kaya FC are without a point.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Ken Ferris)
