Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Saitama: Robson Ponte has recalled the “special” moment of winning the AFC Champions League in front of the Urawa Red Diamonds supporters a decade ago and urged the current generation to repeat that feat in the second leg of the final against Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal on Saturday.
Ponte was a key member of the Urawa side that won the competition for the first and, to date, only time in 2007.
The Brazilian will be back at Saitama Stadium this weekend to watch the J.League side try to follow up a commendable 1-1 draw in the first leg in Riyadh with a performance to crown them continental champions.
It was another Brazilian, Rafael Silva, who opened the scoring in Saudi Arabia, although Omar Khribin’s equaliser means Urawa returned home with the same scoreline as 10 years ago, when Ponte’s goal helped the team draw 1-1 with the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Sepahan before claiming a 2-0 victory at home in what remains the finest night in the club’s history.
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/robson_ponte_one_jpg.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/robson_ponte2_jpg.html
www.the-afc.com/en/more/photo/urawa_photo_3_jpg.html
