Another game, another fixture against Chinese opposition, another win. Yokohama F. Marinos’ relentless march through the AFC Champions League Elite (ACLE) knockout rounds continued with a 1-0 away victory over Shanghai Port FC. Steve Holland, the man with much to prove, takes a slender lead back to Japan for the second leg.
Winning ugly? Fine. Winning. That’s all that matters
Dominant, Yet Wasteful—A Familiar Tale
Let’s talk about the football. Let’s talk about the oblectation of seeing Marinos dominate, yet the irritation of watching them fluff up the basics. Again.
The J.League runners-up controlled the game with 58% possession, comfortably knocking the soccer ball around. They created 16 shots, frequently slicing through China’s champions. Live soccer TV viewers saw an early siege, forcing Yan Junling into multiple saves in the opening 10 minutes. It was coming.
Eventually, Anderson Lopes delivered, heading home his seventh goal of the competition after about half an hour. A deserved lead.
And then? The usual. The obumbrate of doubt crept in as Marinos failed to kill the game. They had Shanghai Port on the ropes but let them wriggle free. The finishing was, to put it politely, dreadful.
Would it really cost Steve Holland to schedule an extra finishing session? Sixty minutes a week. Just shooting drills. Just forcing the ball into the back of the net.
They tried. Lopes had another chance. Elber had one. Jun Amano nearly set up the second. But by full-time, it was still 1-0.
A good result? Yes. Could it have been better? Absolutely.
Shanghai Odyssey Part IV—Can Muscat Ruin the Fun?
Now, Marinos return home for the second leg with a whole week to prepare—no J.League game at the weekend, no excuses. A rare breather.
But let’s not forget who lurks in the opposite dugout: Kevin Muscat. The man who brought Marinos so close to continental glory last season now plots their downfall. He’s won far more games in Japan than Steve Holland. If there’s a man to cause chaos in Yokohama, it’s him.
Shanghai have nothing to lose. They’ll throw everything at it. Marinos? They just need to be ruthless. Finish the job. Darraign their way into the quarter-finals.
Because otherwise? This entire ecdemomania—this obsession with winning abroad—will mean nothing if they collapse at home.
doragon sports 