Oh deer, Downs have date with Antlers

MAMELODI Sundowns will have to overcome not only the reigning Japanese League champions for a place in the semifinals of the Club World Cup but also some fervent ‘home’ support.

Kashima Antlers booked their meeting with Sundowns in a quarterfinal match in Osaka on Sunday when they defeated New Zealand side Auckland City 2-1 in their preliminary encounter yesterday.

Kashima is some 600km from Osaka‚ certainly close enough for a large number of fans to make the journey to the Suita City Football Stadium‚ though they are sure to get massive support from local fans too who would love to see a Japanese side win into the semifinals.

Antlers are‚ in some ways‚ the ‘Kaizer Chiefs’ of Japan‚ by far the most successful club in the country by trophies won‚ if not quite support gained.

Since the start of the JLeague in 1993‚ Antlers have won eight league titles‚ six J-League Cups and the Emperors Cup four times.

They have the pedigree of champions and having lifted the title again in 2016‚ a squad that is used to winning.

The side is coached by Masatada Ishii‚ who is in his second year with the team‚ and leads a largely homebased squad.

They do have the Brazilian duo of striker Fabrício and defender Bueno‚ as well as South Korean international defender Hwang Seok-ho.

They also boast six current Japanese internationals in their squad.

The team has not been in the greatest of form of late with four wins and four defeats in their last eight games‚ if you include yesterday’s victory over Auckland City.

The club has long had ties to Brazil.

In fact‚ eight of their 11 managers in the club’s history have been from the South American country.

That includes legend Zico‚ who also played for the team at the end of his career.

The name ‘Antlers’ comes from the English translation of the Japanese ‘Kashima’‚ which means ‘Deer Island’. — TMG Digital