Twice previously in the last 12 years — in 2007 and 2017 — Urawa Reds took to the Saitama Stadium pitch backed by a screaming wall of red-clad supporters, stood tall against West Asian opposition and ended the night as continental champions.
On Sunday they fell short of accomplishing the feat for a third time as Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal confidently strode to a 2-0 win for a 3-0 aggregate victory in the 2019 Asian Champions League final.
"I want to thank our coach for strengthening the individual abilities on the team into a collective, and for bringing Al Hilal on the right track after 20 years of missing the title," said former France international Bafetibi Gomis, who was named tournament MVP.
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