Vissel Kobe beats FC Seoul, becomes 2nd Japanese team in AFC Champions League quarterfinals

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Japan’s Vissel Kobe claimed a place in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite with a 2-1 win over FC Seoul of South Korea on Wednesday.

Yuya Osako and Yosuke Ideguchi scored late at home as Kobe advanced 3-1 over two legs in the round of 16. Patryk Klimala scored in the first half for Seoul.

Kobe becomes the second Japanese team to reach the quarterfinals after Machida Zelvia qualified on Tuesday.

Johor Darul Tazim of Malaysia also advanced despite a 1-0 loss at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, thanks to its 3-1 win in the first leg, to prevent a third Japanese reaching the last eight.

Buriram United of Thailand rounds out the eastern zone quarterfinalists.

The tournament is divided into two geographic zones until the quarterfinals. Games in the western zone have been postponed because of the Iran war.

All matches from the quarterfinal stage onward are scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from April 16–25 but it’s unclear when games in the western zone can resume.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer