2017 AFC Champions League final

The 2017 AFC Champions League Final was the final of the 2017 AFC Champions League, the 36th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 15th under the current AFC Champions League title.

2017 AFC Champions League Final
Event2017 AFC Champions League
on aggregate
First leg
Date18 November 2017 (2017-11-18)
VenueKing Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh
Man of the MatchShusaku Nishikawa (Urawa Red Diamonds)
RefereeAdham Makhadmeh (Jordan)
Attendance59,136
WeatherFine and dry
22 °C (72 °F)
Second leg
Date25 November 2017 (2017-11-25)
VenueSaitama Stadium 2002, Saitama
Man of the MatchRafael Silva (Urawa Red Diamonds)
RefereeRavshan Irmatov (Uzbekistan)
Attendance57,727
WeatherCold
10 °C (50 °F)
2016
2018

The final was contested in two-legged home-and-away format between Saudi Arabian team Al-Hilal and Japanese team Urawa Red Diamonds. This was the first AFC Champions League final involving a Japanese club since Gamba Osaka in 2008. The first leg was hosted by Al-Hilal at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on 18 November 2017, while the second leg was hosted by Urawa Red Diamonds at the Saitama Stadium 2002 in Saitama on 25 November 2017.

After the first leg ended in a 1–1 draw,[1] Urawa Red Diamonds defeated Al-Hilal 1–0 in the second leg to win 2–1 on aggregate, and were crowned AFC Champions League champions for the second time.[2]

As Asian champions, Urawa Red Diamonds earned the right to represent the AFC at the 2017 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, entering at the second round.[3]

Teams

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In the following table, finals until 2002 were in the Asian Club Championship era, since 2003 were in the AFC Champions League era.

Team Region Previous finals appearances (bold indicates winners)
  Al-Hilal West Region (Zone: WAFF) 5 (1986[A], 1987[B], 1991, 2000, 2014)
  Urawa Red Diamonds East Region (Zone: EAFF) 1 (2007)
Notes
  1. ^
    The 1986 final was played in four-team round-robin format, with Al-Hilal finishing as runners-up.
  2. ^
    Al-Hilal was unable to participate in the 1987 final and therefore was declared as runners-up.

Venues

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Saitama Stadium 2002 in Saitama, Japan, hosted the second leg.

This was the fourth time that an Asian club final was played in the King Fahd International Stadium, with the previous finals being 1995, 2000, and 2014 (second leg).

This was the second time that an Asian club final was played in the Saitama Stadium 2002, with the previous final being 2007 (second leg).

Road to the final

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Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

  Al-Hilal Round   Urawa Red Diamonds
Opponent Result Group stage Opponent Result
  Persepolis 1–1 (A) Matchday 1   Western Sydney Wanderers 4–0 (A)
  Al-Rayyan 2–1 (H) Matchday 2   FC Seoul 5–2 (H)
  Al-Wahda 2–2 (A) Matchday 3   Shanghai SIPG 2–3 (A)
  Al-Wahda 1–0 (H) Matchday 4   Shanghai SIPG 1–0 (H)
  Persepolis 0–0 (H) Matchday 5   Western Sydney Wanderers 6–1 (H)
  Al-Rayyan 4–3 (A) Matchday 6   FC Seoul 0–1 (A)
Group D winners

Pos Team Pld Pts
1   Al-Hilal 6 12
2   Persepolis 6 9
3   Al-Rayyan 6 7
4   Al-Wahda 6 4
Source: AFC
Final standings Group F winners

Pos Team Pld Pts
1   Urawa Red Diamonds 6 12
2   Shanghai SIPG 6 12
3   FC Seoul 6 6
4   Western Sydney Wanderers 6 6
Source: AFC
Opponent Agg. 1st leg 2nd leg Knockout stage Opponent Agg. 1st leg 2nd leg
  Esteghlal Khuzestan 4–2 2–1 (A) 2–1 (H) Round of 16   Jeju United 3–2 0–2 (A) 3–0 (a.e.t.) (H)
  Al-Ain 3–0 0–0 (A) 3–0 (H) Quarter-finals   Kawasaki Frontale 5–4 1–3 (A) 4–1 (H)
  Persepolis 6–2 4–0 (H) 2–2 (A) Semi-finals   Shanghai SIPG 2–1 1–1 (A) 1–0 (H)

Format

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The final was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis, with the order of legs (first leg hosted by team from the West Region, second leg hosted by team from the East Region) reversed from the previous season's final.[4] The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out would be used to decide the winner if necessary (Regulations, Section 3. 11.2 & 11.3).[3]

Matches

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First leg

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Urawa Red Diamonds took the lead in the seventh minute after Rafael Silva intercepted a clearance of Salman Al-Faraj and converted from close range.[5] Omar Kharbin scored for Al-Hilal in the 37th minute striking a close-range effort through the legs of Urawa Red Diamonds goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa.[6]

Al-Hilal  1–1  Urawa Red Diamonds
  • Kharbin   37'
Report
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Al-Hilal
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Urawa Red Diamonds
GK 1   Abdullah Al-Mayouf
RB 2   Mohammed Al-Breik   90+1'
CB 33   Osama Hawsawi (c)
CB 70   Mohammed Jahfali   45+2'
LB 12   Yasser Al-Shahrani
CM 7   Salman Al-Faraj
CM 8   Abdullah Otayf   70'
CM 16   Nicolás Milesi   5'   78'
AM 29   Salem Al-Dawsari
AM 3   Carlos Eduardo   19'
CF 77   Omar Kharbin   37'
Substitutes:
GK 30   Mohammed Al-Waked
DF 4   Abdullah Al-Zori
MF 6   Abdulmalek Al-Khaibri
MF 24   Nawaf Al Abed   66'   19'
MF 27   Mohamed Kanno   80'   78'
FW 20   Yasser Al-Qahtani
FW 44   Mukhtar Fallatah   70'
Manager:
  Ramón Díaz
 
GK 1   Shusaku Nishikawa
RB 6   Wataru Endō
CB 22   Yuki Abe (c)
CB 5   Tomoaki Makino
LB 3   Tomoya Ugajin   12'
DM 16   Takuya Aoki
RM 9   Yuki Muto
CM 10   Yōsuke Kashiwagi
CM 15   Kazuki Nagasawa   76'
LM 8   Rafael Silva   64'
CF 30   Shinzo Koroki   86'
Substitutes:
GK 25   Tetsuya Enomoto
DF 4   Daisuke Nasu
DF 46   Ryota Moriwaki
MF 7   Tsukasa Umesaki   76'
MF 39   Shinya Yajima
FW 13   Toshiyuki Takagi   86'
FW 21   Zlatan Ljubijankić   64'
Manager:
  Takafumi Hori

Man of the Match:
Shusaku Nishikawa (Urawa Red Diamonds)

Assistant referees:
Ahmad Al-Roalle (Jordan)
Issa Al-Amawi (Jordan)
Fourth official:
Yousef Al-Jararwah (Jordan)
Additional assistant referees:
Muhammad Taqi (Singapore)
Hettikamkanamge Perera (Sri Lanka)

Second leg

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Carlos Eduardo (Al-Hilal) tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during first leg and was ruled out from second leg.[7] Urawa Red Diamonds scored the only goal in the 88th minute when Rafael Silva scored from the right of the penalty area, shooting high to the net with his right foot.[8][9]

Urawa Red Diamonds  1–0  Al-Hilal
Report
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Urawa Red Diamonds
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Al-Hilal
GK 1   Shusaku Nishikawa
RB 6   Wataru Endō
CB 22   Yuki Abe (c)
CB 5   Tomoaki Makino   27'
LB 3   Tomoya Ugajin   13'   74'
CM 10   Yōsuke Kashiwagi   90+3'
CM 16   Takuya Aoki
RW 9   Yuki Muto
AM 15   Kazuki Nagasawa   70'
LW 8   Rafael Silva
CF 30   Shinzo Koroki   84'
Substitutes:
GK 25   Tetsuya Enomoto
DF 2   Maurício Antônio   74'
DF 46   Ryota Moriwaki
MF 7   Tsukasa Umesaki   90+3'
MF 39   Shinya Yajima
FW 13   Toshiyuki Takagi
FW 21   Zlatan Ljubijankić   84'
Manager:
  Takafumi Hori
 
GK 1   Abdullah Al-Mayouf
RB 2   Mohammed Al-Breik
CB 33   Osama Hawsawi (c)
CB 70   Mohammed Jahfali
LB 12   Yasser Al-Shahrani
DM 8   Abdullah Otayf   20'   87'
RM 29   Salem Al-Dawsari   72'   79'
CM 16   Nicolás Milesi
CM 7   Salman Al-Faraj   68'
LM 24   Nawaf Al Abed   77'
CF 77   Omar Kharbin   62'
Substitutes:
GK 30   Mohammed Al-Waked
DF 4   Abdullah Al-Zori
MF 6   Abdulmalek Al-Khaibri
MF 10   Mohammad Al-Shalhoub   87'
MF 27   Mohamed Kanno
FW 20   Yasser Al-Qahtani   80'   68'
FW 44   Mukhtar Fallatah   62'
Manager:
  Ramón Díaz

Man of the Match:
Rafael Silva (Urawa Red Diamonds)

Assistant referees:
Abdukhamidullo Rasulov (Uzbekistan)
Jakhongir Saidov (Uzbekistan)
Fourth official:
Mamur Saidkasimov (Uzbekistan)
Additional assistant referees:
Valentin Kovalenko (Uzbekistan)
Ilgiz Tantashev (Uzbekistan)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Khribin strike keeps Al Hilal in the chase as Urawa Reds take early advantage". AFC. 18 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Rafael strike steers Urawa Reds to 2017 AFC Champions League crown". AFC. 25 November 2017.
  3. ^ a b "2017 AFC Champions League Competition Regulations" (PDF). AFC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  4. ^ "AFC Champions League quarter-final ties confirmed". AFC. 6 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Rafael Da Silva goal helps Urawa Red Diamonds to draw with Al Hilal". ESPN. 18 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Urawa earn valuable away draw". FIFA. 18 November 2017. Archived from the original on November 18, 2017.
  7. ^ "Al Hilal blow as Carlos Eduardo out of final second leg". Fox Sports Asia. 20 November 2017. Archived from the original on 28 September 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  8. ^ "Urawa clinch ticket to UAE". FIFA. 25 November 2017. Archived from the original on November 25, 2017.
  9. ^ "Rafael Silva strike seals Asian Champions League crown for Urawa". ESPN. 25 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
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