Football
2017 AFC Champions League, Group Stage
BRR 
2
FT
 KAN
1
AAP 7y

Jamie Maclaren, Brett Holman sink Kashima, revive Brisbane in ACL

Brisbane Roar revived their AFC Champions League hopes with a 2-1 home victory over Japanese champions Kashima Antlers.

Clinical finishes from Jamie Maclaren and Brett Holman put the hosts comfortably in front, before Ryota Nagaki's strike made it a nervy last 11 minutes for the home side at Suncorp Stadium.

The opener came in the 18th minute when Brandon Borello lobbed a ball over the Japanese side's defence. After Ueda Naomichi totally missed an attempted hack clearance, Maclaren calmly drove a low left-footed half volley inside the far post.

The Roar were lucky to hold this lead going into the second half as four minutes before the break Nishi Daigo met a corner at the front post. He flicked a header past Michael Theo only for the ball to come back off the woodwork and into the goalkeeper's arms.

The lead was doubled four minutes after the restart when Broich squared a free kick to Thomas Kristensen. The Dane's weak effort was cleared by veteran Ogasawa Mitsuo straight to Holman on the edge of the box.

The Socceroo then side footed a first-time finish into the corner, leaving Kwoun Suntae with no chance.

Midway through the second half, the Japanese side should have scored when Brazilian Leo Silva hit a superb 40-yard diagonal ball over the Brisbane defence onto the head of substitute Hiroki Abe.

But the 18-year-old striker missed the target from eight yards out.

Eleven minutes from fulltime, Theo parried Yashushi Endo's effort out to the left hand side of the penalty area where Nakamura Atsutaka drilled a low ball across the box that Nagaki slotted home from six yards out.

The win leaves Brisbane on four points from four games, still at the foot of Group E but now just two points behind the Antlers.

The Roar next travel to Thailand to play Muang Thong United in a fortnight. For the trip to Thailand, they will be without suspended defenders Avram Papadopoulos and Corey Brown, who picked up bookings against the Antlers.

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