Football: Japan's Antlers Carry The Fight For Asia

OSAKA, Japan, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Dec, 2016 ) - Japan's Kashima Antlers will look to spring a major upset by reaching the Club World Cup final -- their aim to put Asian football on the map.

Antlers coach Masatada Ishii has called on the J-League title holders to ambush South American champions Atletico Nacional in the tournament's first semi-final on Wednesday. Barring a seismic upset, a potential dream final against Spanish giants Real Madrid in Yokohama awaits the winners.

"We are on a great run of form," he said Tuesday. "The players are a little fatigued but the target is to maintain our momentum and finish the season with two more victories. "If we get the results we want people will say that Asia is closing the gap," added Ishii, whose team are bidding to become Asia's first Club World Cup finalists.

"If we fail, people will continue to say Japan is still way behind Europe and South America. We're fighting for Japanese football, which makes these two matches extremely important.

" Kashima, who captured their eighth Japanese championship 10 days ago, squeezed past part-timers Auckland City 2-1 before beating South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 to reach the semi-finals.

But they will be facing sentimental favourites in Nacional, who were thrust into the public eye after their incidental part in the recent air tragedy which all but wiped out Brazilian rivals Chapecoense.

Chape were en route to play the Colombians in the Copa Sudamericana final when their plane crashed into a hillside near Medellin. "These past few weeks have no doubt been difficult," said Nacional coach Reinaldo Rueda, who led his side to a second Libertadores Cup in July.

"For us Chapecoense are like brothers," he added. "We have to give it everything for their memory because we're a team, we are human beings. Chape had their dreams cruelly snatched away so it is our duty to reach the final."