Asian football had a busy week across Japan, Australia and South Korea. The latest league results tightened several races and produced an important win for FC Tokyo in Japan.
Japan: FC Tokyo beat the champions
FC Tokyo defeated defending J.League champions Kashima Antlers 2–0 to remain top of the table. Motoki Nagakura opened the scoring and Daniel Gomez added a stoppage-time goal. Kashiwa Reysol moved into second, two points behind, after beating Kawasaki Frontale 2–1.
Australia: Sydney FC make ground
Wellington Phoenix drew 0–0 with Auckland FC. Sydney FC took advantage by beating Central Coast Mariners 4–1, with Al Hassan Toure scoring a hat-trick. Brisbane Roar remained third after a 2–1 victory over Macarthur FC, with a game in hand.
South Korea: Ulsan defeat the new champions
Ulsan HD beat newly crowned K League champions FC Seoul 2–1 and retained second place. The result kept Ulsan in the race for next season’s AFC Champions League Elite qualification places.
Women’s continental football
In the Asian Women’s Champions League, defending champions Naegohyang beat Kobe Leonessa 1–0 to finish top of Group A. Both clubs advanced to the quarter-finals. The quarter-final draw is scheduled for 3 December.
What the week means
The results show the competitive variety of Asian football. Japan’s leading teams are separated by only a small margin, the A-League leaders remain under pressure, and Ulsan are pushing to secure continental qualification.
Source: Reuters — The week in Asian football, 9 November 2026:
https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/week-asian-football-2026-11-09/