Machida and Buriram United advance to Asian Champions League quarter-finals

[p]Former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cardiff/hO8wh6aP/"]Cardiff City[/a] goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/etheridge-neil/MJDjwLMN/"]Neil Etheridge[/a] saved a ‌pair of spot-kicks to take 10-man [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/buriram-united-f-c/r3QHlQs7/"]Buriram United[/a] into the ‌last eight for the second season in a row after an eventful contest ‌against the Australians [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/buriram-r3QHlQs7/melbourne-city-OKfoGJBe/?mid=pd5yKtGG"]finished in a 0-0 draw[/a].[/p][p]That saw the ‌two-legged clash end 1-1 on aggregate with Etheridge denying [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/teague-ryan/Sd2M26mk/"]Ryan Teague[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/behich-aziz/pnjldJ6K/"]Aziz Behich[/a] to take [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jackson-mark/noHUSiki/"]Mark Jackson[/a]'s team into the next round.[/p][p][b]"Everything about the performance ‌shows how together we are as a team,"[/b] ⁠said Etheridge. [b]"I'll take the plaudits ‌for saving the penalties but for 100 minutes my team dug extremely deep ​to take it to the point where I was able to make those saves."[/b][/p][embed guid="4b9d136e-9666-41cf-bad7-2fb635fbce30" url="https://x.com/TheAFCCL/status/2031402189793432020" social-type="twitter" /][p]Buriram midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zulj-robert/UTHdgaQb/"]Robert Zulj[/a] was sent off ​in the 21st minute for stomping on a prostrate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shillington-harrison/zR4wOsep/"]Harrison Shillington[/a] while Etheridge was fortunate not to be dismissed in the 96th ⁠minute when he appeared to ​aim a kick towards [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/caputo-max/nZcU7Kin/"]Max Caputo[/a].[/p][p]City defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ferreyra-german/j3oOcz3L/"]German Ferreyra[/a] was sent off in the 119th minute following a tussle with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sanchez-ruben/82GDQzrc/"]Ruben Sanchez[/a] before Etheridge dived to his left to keep out penalties from both Teague ‌and Behich, leaving [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dougall-kenny/GW5SQx2i/"]Kenny Dougall[/a] to score the winner.[/p][p][b]Meanwhile, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nakamura-hotaka/bkdADBKs/"]Hotaka Nakamura[/a]'s header confirmed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/machida-zelvia/CUSC1dab/"]Machida[/a]'s progress after sharing a 0-0 draw with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/gangwon/A144gewT/"]Gangwon[/a] in the first leg last week, with the club [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/gangwon-A144gewT/machida-CUSC1dab/?mid=vHgMNOGi"]qualifying for the last eight[/a] in their debut campaign in the continental championship.[/b][/p][embed guid="8d5a1bcf-111a-41f9-b920-5d1134ad4e35" url="https://x.com/TheAFCCL/status/2031344294573801544" social-type="twitter" /][p]The right back scored in the 25th minute when he charged forward to meet [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/na-sang-ho/2Blk98sh/"]Na Sang-ho[/a]'s centre from the left, stooping to nod beyond goalkeeper Park Chung-hyo.[/p][p]Machida and Buriram are the first teams to secure their ‌places in the quarter-finals, which will be played in Jeddah on ​a centralised basis along with the tournament's semi-finals and final ‌from April 16 to 25.[/p][p][b]Japan's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vissel-kobe/698tGI9q/"]Vissel Kobe[/a] take a 1-0 lead into the second leg of their meeting with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/seoul/8tzeYeHp/"]FC Seoul[/a] on Wednesday while Malaysia's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/johor-dt/AVV6BGlb/"]Johor Darul Ta'zim[/a] will defend a 3-1 advantage against hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sanfrecce-hiroshima/fX7MRdvd/"]Sanfrecce Hiroshima[/a].[/b][/p][p]Matches in the last 16 in ⁠the western half of the draw ⁠have been postponed due ‌to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.[/p]