AFC Champions League – Star striker injured; two-goal lead overturned as Shenhua draws 2-2 with Kashima and is eliminated
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At 8 p.m. on April 3rd, Beijing time, the fifth round of the 2018 AFC Champions League saw a match take place at the Hongkou Stadium in Shanghai, with Shanghai Shenhua hosting Kashima Antlers. In the 11th minute, Martins was brought down by Tomoya Inui inside the opponent’s penalty area, and Moreno converted the penalty. In the 27th minute, Gallin delivered a corner from the left flank, and Mao Jianqing headed it in to score another goal. In the first half, Shanghai Shenhua led Kashima Antlers 2-0. In the 57th minute, Leandro took a shot from the left side of the penalty area; the ball bounced off a Shenhua defender’s leg and went to the other side, where Yuma Suzuki rushed in to score from the follow-up shot. In the 62nd minute, Kenji Kimson launched a ball from the right side, and Leonardo, who was unmarked, shot powerfully from inside the left penalty area to score. In the end, the two teams drew 2-2; Shanghai Shenhua was eliminated with 4 points from 4 draws and 1 loss, while Kashima Antlers advanced ahead of schedule with 9 points from 2 wins and 3 draws.
This year, Shanghai Shenhua has chosen to focus on the domestic league rather than competing in the AFC Champions League; with such a squad, it is difficult to manage competition in both competitions. Instead of trying to do too much at once, it was better to make a choice – and as a result, one spot in the AFC Champions League was lost.