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Kewell Tells Yokohama to Summon Spirit of Istanbul to Reach Final

Harry Kewell won the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool and now coaches Japanese side Yokohama F-Marinos. Anthony WALLACE / AFP
Harry Kewell won the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool and now coaches Japanese side Yokohama F-Marinos. Anthony WALLACE / AFP
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Kewell Tells Yokohama to Summon Spirit of Istanbul to Reach Final

Harry Kewell won the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool and now coaches Japanese side Yokohama F-Marinos. Anthony WALLACE / AFP
Harry Kewell won the 2005 Champions League with Liverpool and now coaches Japanese side Yokohama F-Marinos. Anthony WALLACE / AFP

Harry Kewell says his Yokohama F-Marinos side can emulate his 2005 Istanbul success with Liverpool and "do something magical" in Wednesday's Asian Champions League semi-final second leg.
Kewell won European club football's biggest prize almost 20 years ago as Liverpool roared back from three goals down to beat AC Milan on penalties, although the Australian lasted just 23 minutes before going off injured in the final.
The former Leeds and Liverpool winger took over as Yokohama coach at the start of this year and has taken the Japanese club to their first Asian Champions League semi-final.
They lost the first leg to Ulsan Hyundai 1-0 in South Korea but Kewell believes his team can channel the same spirit that saw Liverpool upset the odds in Istanbul.
"I was part of a special team that night that was able to come back from a scenario where a lot of people thought it was dead and buried," he said on Tuesday.
"It just goes to show that a game is never finished, especially when you've got a hunger and a desire in a team.
"And I see that hunger and desire in this team to go out there and do something magical."
Kewell is one of Australia's greatest players but he has never reached the same heights as a manager in lower-league English football.
He was sacked by fifth-tier Barnet in 2021 after failing to win in his first seven matches as manager.
Youth movement
Kewell has made a solid start in Japan and is taking inspiration from former Liverpool team-mate Xabi Alonso, who has clinched the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen.
"He's gone out there and taken a team to be virtually unstoppable, not only in the Bundesliga but also in Europe as well at this present time," said Kewell.
"I think it's fantastic to see young coaches now coming in with a different mindset, a different attitude and a different way of playing."
Kewell was preceded at Yokohama by fellow Australians Kevin Muscat and Ange Postecoglou.
Postecoglou left to join Celtic and hired Kewell as a coach, before moving on to Tottenham in the Premier League.
Kewell said he has been trying to put his own stamp on Yokohama rather than asking Spurs boss Postecoglou for advice.
"We're both very busy concentrating on our own teams," he said.
"I did speak to him briefly at the start to get a bit of information but generally wherever I go, I make my own mind up on what I see and how I approach things."
Ulsan qualified for next year's expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the United States by beating Yokohama in the first leg.
They are aiming to win the Champions League for a third time.
"We won the first leg but we have to forget about the result," said coach Hong Myung-bo.
"We will try to play with stability but this is an away game and there will difficult times."
The winner of the tie will face Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates or Saudi side Al-Hilal in a two-legged final.
They play later Tuesday in the other semi-final in Riyadh with Al-Ain leading 4-2 from the first leg.

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Asian Football Confederation Postpones West Region Champions League Games After Attacks on Iran

A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. (AFP)
A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. (AFP)
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Asian Football Confederation Postpones West Region Champions League Games After Attacks on Iran

A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. (AFP)
A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. (AFP)

The Asian Football Confederation has postponed continental club championship playoffs scheduled in the Middle East this week in response to the U.S. and Israel attacks on Iran.

Soccer's Asian governing body issued a statement Sunday saying the AFC Champions League Elite Round of 16 games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in the West Region will be rescheduled.

The AFC Champions League 2 and AFC Challenge League quarterfinals scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in the West zone will also be postponed. No new dates have been set.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Saudi club Al-Nassr is among the teams involved in the Asian Champions League Two competition.

Matches in the East Region across all of the AFC's continental championships will continue as scheduled, organizers said.

“The AFC will continue to closely monitor this rapidly evolving situation and remains resolute in ensuring the safety and security of all players, teams, officials, and fans,” the AFC said in a statement.

The AFC is hosting the Women's Asian Cup in Australia starting Sunday. Iran is among the 12 national teams competing.

Sports

Liverpool Leverage Set-piece Dominance in 5-2 Win over West Ham

28 February 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: Liverpool's Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
28 February 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: Liverpool's Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
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Liverpool Leverage Set-piece Dominance in 5-2 Win over West Ham

28 February 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: Liverpool's Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa
28 February 2026, United Kingdom, Liverpool: Liverpool's Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire/dpa

Liverpool exploited West Ham United's weakness at set pieces to secure a 5-2 win in their Premier League clash at Anfield on Saturday, but the hosts did not have it all their own way as they struggled to shake off the relegation-threatened Londoners.

The win takes the Merseysiders up to fifth, level on 48 points with fourth-placed Manchester United, who play on Sunday. West Ham stay 18th on 25 points, two points off Nottingham Forest in the safety zone and having played a game more.

All three of Liverpool’s first-half goals – Hugo Ekitike’s opener after five minutes, Virgil van Dijk’s header 19 ⁠minutes later and ⁠Alexis Mac Allister’s volley just before the break – came from West Ham’s inability to deal with corners effectively.

However, despite their handsome lead, Liverpool looked shaky in defense and disaster almost struck on the half-hour mark.

Goalkeeper Alisson played the ball straight to Jarrod Bowen as he played out from the back but the West Ham midfielder could not control it and it rolled back to the keeper who cleared.

Things began to ⁠unravel when Tomas Soucek pulled a goal back for West Ham early in the second half and the home side's nerves were apparent when Cody Gakpo missed a sitter in the 54th.

However, the Dutchman made amends after 70 minutes, cutting in from the left and driving a shot into the net at the foot of the far post to make it 4-1.

That should have killed the game off, but West Ham finally got a corner to work in their favor in the 75th as the ball sailed over the Liverpool defense, leaving Valentin Castellanos with the simple task of heading into the net to make it 4-2.

That was as ⁠close as West ⁠Ham got though and the visitors ran out of luck shortly afterwards when Liverpool substitute Jeremie Frimpong drove the ball in from the right-hand side of the box and Axel Disasi steered it into his own net.

Liverpool's Gakpo brushed off his side's struggles against a team who are now 13 places below them in the table and welcomed the home side's set-piece effectiveness.

"Step by step, we're getting a better team. We had a difficult moment during the season, but hopefully these last few games are the start of something beautiful," he told Sky Sports.

"There is a lot to play for. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum we have and end the season in a good way ... when the game is stuck and you know you can score from a set piece, we lacked that earlier in the season."

Sports

First Yamal Hat-trick Helps Liga Leaders Barcelona Beat Villarreal

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, left, celebrates scoring his side's opening goal with teammate Fermin Lopez during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Villareal in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, left, celebrates scoring his side's opening goal with teammate Fermin Lopez during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Villareal in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
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First Yamal Hat-trick Helps Liga Leaders Barcelona Beat Villarreal

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, left, celebrates scoring his side's opening goal with teammate Fermin Lopez during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Villareal in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)
Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, left, celebrates scoring his side's opening goal with teammate Fermin Lopez during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Barcelona and Villareal in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's teenage star Lamine Yamal scored the first hat-trick of his career in a 4-1 win over Villarreal on Saturday that took the Catalan giants four points clear at the top of La Liga.

The Spain international struck twice in the first half and, after Pape Gueye pulled one back for the visitors at Camp Nou, stroked in a third for Hansi Flick's side.

Robert Lewandowski rounded off Barca's triumph with a late tap-in as they extend their lead on Real Madrid, who host Getafe on Monday, and third-place Villarreal who now trail the champions by 13 points, AFP reported.

Yamal, who seems to have fully recovered from a groin issue which bothered him for several weeks earlier in the campaign, was at his effervescent best.

The winger became the youngest player to score a hat-trick in La Liga in the 21st century at 18 years and 230 days old.

Yamal has now equaled his tally of 18 goals last season across all competitions, becoming the team's top goalscorer and raising the one area of his game which called for improvement.

Barcelona might have taken the lead through Jules Kounde early on but the French defender screwed a shot across the face of goal when well placed.

Yamal tested Villarreal goalkeeper Luiz Junior from distance, offering a brief glimpse of what was soon to follow.

Barca took the lead when Fermin Lopez won the ball high up the pitch and fed Yamal, who curled home after 28 minutes.

Yamal's second followed nine minutes later, a stunning individual goal after he drove in from the right.

The teenager left Sergi Cardona and Alberto Moleiro for dead and then whipped a strike into the far top corner.

Luiz Junior saved Raphinha's free-kick as Barca sought a third before the interval. Kounde flicked home but was offside and Yamal might have completed his hat-trick but fired over.

Dani Olmo wasted a good chance early in the second half and soon paid the price as Villarreal pulled one back.

Gueye turned home from close range after a scramble in the box as Barca failed to clear a corner.

The Yellow Submarine nearly had a second when Joan Garcia came flying out of his goal to try and beat Ayoze Perez to a ball in behind Barca's defense.

The goalkeeper did not win it cleanly and after Perez recovered possession the Canary Islander fired just wide with Garcia stranded in no man's land.

Yamal bent another shot agonizingly wide from the edge of the box as he chased his first ever treble, which eventually came after substitute Pedri played him in with an inch-perfect pass.

The teenager beat Luiz Junior with a clinical finish and was given an ovation when Flick brought him off shortly afterwards.

Lewandowski netted Barca's fourth after good work from Pedri and Kounde, who had one of his best games of the season.

Scoring four goals -- at least -- is what Barca need to do on Wednesday, as they host Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg, aiming to overcome a 4-0 deficit.