Ramon Diaz has promised Al Hilal “will fight until the end” to defend their Asian Champions League title after the holders were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by Urawa Red Diamonds in the first leg of the final.
The Saudi Arabian side, the defending champions, took an early lead at King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh on Saturday night through Salem Al Dawsari, but then allowed their Japanese counterparts back into the tie.
Urawa, meeting Hilal in the final for an unprecedented third time, equalised at the beginning of the second half via Shinzo Koroki’s opportune strike.
Unable to regain the lead, Hilal’s hopes were hit further when Al Dawsari was sent off four minutes from time for kicking out at Ken Iwao.
The record four-time champions, who lost to Urawa in the final in 2017 but avenged the defeat in the showpiece two years later, travel to Saitama next week for the return leg on May 6.
Speaking late on Saturday night, Hilal manager Diaz told the gathered media: “We started the match very well — we were good offensively and deservingly scored. But this is the nature of a final and each mistake can make things complicated.
“However, the final isn’t over yet. This final is over two matches, and we will fight until the end.”
Dawsari, one of Hilal’s principal players, delivered on his standing within 13 minutes of the opening leg, when he met Michael’s low cross at the Urawa back post to put the hosts 1-0 up.
The Saudi international, scorer of the winner in his country’s shock victory at the 2022 World Cup against Argentina, will not be available for the second leg, though. The red card on Saturday was Al Dawsari's second in Champions League finals: he was sent off in the 2017 final against Urawa, also.
Asian Champions League final first leg - in pictures
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Salem al-Dawsari celebrates scoring for Al Hilal during the first leg of Asian Champions League final against Urawa Red Diamonds at the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh. AFP -
Hilal forward Michael is marked by Urawa defender Takahiro Akimoto. AFP -
Salem Al Dawsari chases the ball after skipping a challenge from Shinzo Koroki. EPA -
Atsuki Ito of Urawa lies on the pitch with a cramp during the Asian Champions League final. EPA -
Al-Hilal's Ali Al Boleahi and Mohamed Kanno in action. Reuters -
Takahiro Akimoto of Urawa challenges for the ball against Hilal's Michael. EPA -
Urawa defender Hiroki Sakai is taken off the pitch following an injury. AFP -
Shinzo Koroki celebrates after scoring Urawa's equalising goal against Hilal. EPA -
Al Hilal's Moussa Marega controls the ball. Reuters -
Al Hilal fans inside the stadium before the match. Reuters -
Al Hilal fans inside the stadium before the match. Reuters -
Urawa Red Diamonds fans inside the stadium before the match. Reuters
“There was some confusion after Urawa equalised and then came Al Dawsari's red card, but we still had chances to score,” said Diaz, who was Hilal manager in 2017. “We haven't given up hope and will do our best to be Asian champions again.”
Winger Michael echoed Diaz’s comments that the tie is far from over. The Brazilian, perhaps Hilal’s greatest threat throughout the first leg, was named player of the match.
Asked if his team were surprised by Urawa’s quality, Michael said: “No, absolutely we weren’t surprised. The team fought very well and we tried during the whole match to score more. We had the desire to get victory in the match.
“Of course, we are very sad that we didn’t achieve the result we wanted. But nothing is over yet. We shift our concentration to the next match and try to be victorious then.”
Meanwhile, Urawa manager Maciej Skorza praised his players for finding a way back into the game. The Pole, taking charge of the two-time Asian champions for the first time in the competition, said he was disappointed with Urawa’s start to the match, but paid tribute to his side for getting back into the contest.
“We have a mix of young and experienced players, and we didn’t really know what to expect in the final against a team like Al Hilal,” Skorza said. “The target in the second half was to play a bit higher and force Al Hilal to make mistakes and, from that, Koroki scored a very important goal.”
Skorza, whose team are now unbeaten in 12 matches, added: “It is a very good result for us. I have great respect for the Urawa players because they fought until the end despite it being such a tough match.
“This experience was crucial for the players, and it was also a learning experience for me as well. We have learnt so much from this for the second leg and we are very hopeful of getting a result at Saitama next week.”
