Machida Zelvia persist in their pursuit of AFC Champions League success in their inaugural appearance.

Experiencing continental competition for the first time this season, Japan’s Machida Zelvia have already made significant progress by reaching the semifinals of the AFC Champions League Elite.

Their journey began in the league stage, where they impressively secured the top position in the 12-team East region, surpassing more established rivals Vissel Kobe and Sanfrecce Hiroshima, with a record of five victories, two draws, and one defeat.

Given that the J1 League is widely regarded as Asia’s premier domestic league, it was always a possibility that one of its representatives — even in their inaugural appearance in the ACL Elite — would possess the quality to compete successfully against teams from South Korea, China, Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

This was confirmed in the round of 16, where Machida achieved a 1-0 aggregate victory over South Korea’s Gangwon FC, securing their spot in the quarterfinals.

However, the centralized ACL Elite finals — which feature the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final within a rapid ten-day period in Jeddah — present a different challenge entirely.

At this stage of the tournament, the East and West regions finally meet, introducing a new level of competition.

Machida could not have wished for a better initial encounter with Western opposition, as they secured a 1-0 win against a talented Al Ittihad team — featuring renowned players such as Fabinho, Steven Bergwijn, Moussa Diaby, Danilo Pereira, Youssef En-Nesyri, and Houssem Aouar — on Friday, allowing them to progress to the semifinals.

Emirati side Shabab Al Ahli now stands as the next challenge for Machida. While their roster may not be as star-studded as that of Al Ittihad, they still boast considerable talent.

Federico Cartabia and Nemanja Maksimović have both spent significant time in LaLiga with notable clubs like Valencia and Getafe, although Maksimović has been absent from their last four matches.

Many of the Brazilian players, who form a substantial part of their foreign contingent, have experience in top-flight football in Brazil.

Additionally, the Iranian duo of Saeid Ezatolahi and Sardar Azmoun have both had extensive careers in Europe and participated in two FIFA World Cups each.

Despite recognizing that another challenging test lies ahead, Machida remains undeterred in their aspiration to become champions of Asia in their ACL Elite debut.

“Our goal is not merely to take part,” stated defender Henry Heroki Mochizuki — who netted Machida’s historic first goal in the tournament last September — during Monday’s pre-match press conference.

“Our objective is to win. That’s why we are here.

“We have reached the semifinals, and our opponents are a very high-quality team, but we believe we can win if we perform at our best.”

This sentiment was echoed by Machida coach Go Kuroda, who dismissed the notion that Shabab Al Ahli might be disadvantaged by having one less day of rest — having played their quarterfinal on Saturday and requiring extra time to defeat Buriram United.

“We are here to win the tournament, so we do not want to lose [the semifinal],” remarked the 55-year-old, whose tenure at Machida marks his first professional coaching role after 26 years of coaching high school football.

“While we have a scheduling advantage, this is the semifinal.

“Both teams will anticipate a high-quality match, and once the game begins, the players will not feel any fatigue they may have experienced prior.”

Although both teams have been effective in scoring throughout the tournament, Kuroda believes that defense will be the key factor in determining the outcome on Tuesday.

“Throughout the J.League and into this tournament, we have established a strong defensive foundation, maintaining clean sheets,” he explained.

“This instills confidence in the players.

“Our opponents are physically strong and quick, but I expect us to handle them effectively.”

Similarly, Mochizuki aims to maintain a solid defensive performance against Shabab Al Ahli, recognizing the threat they pose from set-piece situations — an area where Machida themselves caused Al Ittihad significant issues, particularly with Kotaro Hayashi’s long throws from deep, one of which led to Tete Yengi’s decisive goal.

“We do not aim for a high-scoring match,” added Mochizuki.

“We would like to keep a clean sheet in the next game as well.

“We understand that our opponents are proficient from set-pieces, so we will focus on avoiding unnecessary corners or free-kicks.”