Kawasaki Forward Tatsuya Ito Reflects On Beating Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr In AFC Champions League

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Kawasaki Frontale's forward, Tatsuya Ito, likened their AFC Champions League semi-final victory over Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr to a video game. Ito netted the first goal in Kawasaki's 3-2 win in Jeddah, setting up a final clash with Al-Ahli. Despite Sadio Mane equalising, Yuto Ozeki and Akihiro Ienaga scored to give Kawasaki a 3-1 lead before Ayman Yahya made the ending tense.

Kawasaki's success marks them as the fifth Japanese team to reach the competition's final, joining Urawa Red Diamonds, Gamba Osaka, Kashima Antlers, and Yokohama Marinos. This achievement ensures a Japanese club has reached the final for three consecutive editions. Regardless of Saturday’s outcome, Ito cherishes defeating Ronaldo.

Al-Nassr boasts stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane. The former Japan youth international expressed his excitement about playing against such renowned players. "There were some big names playing here," he said. "Before we went on the pitch, they were next to me. It felt like it was a video game!"

Al-Nassr trails Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Ittihad by eight points with five games left, making another trophyless season likely. Since moving to Saudi Arabia in 2023, Ronaldo hasn't secured a major title. After the match, he shared on X: "Sometimes the dream has to wait. I'm proud of this team and everything we gave on the pitch."

Coach Pioli's Reflections

Stefano Pioli, Al-Nassr's head coach, attributed their loss to individual mistakes while defending his tactical choices. "We made a lot of mistakes and this has cost us the match," Pioli stated. He acknowledged that losing in a semi-final is tough and credited Kawasaki for their high-level play.

Pioli admitted that his team struggled with discipline and execution despite knowing their opponent’s style well. "We committed a lot of mistakes and we didn’t play at our full capacity," he explained. He also noted that they maintained their usual style but failed to apply tactics effectively.

The defeat highlighted challenges for Al-Nassr as they aim for future successes amidst strong competition from other teams in both domestic and international arenas.