Kashiwa Reysol striker Masato Kudo admits his No. 1 target for the season is to win the Asian Champions League, but that does not mean he is about to give up on the J. League title.
Reysol beat Australia's Central Coast Mariners 3-0 in Asia's premier club competition last Tuesday to set up a last-16 clash with South Korea's Jeonbuk Motors on May 15 and 22, finishing the first round unbeaten while Japan's three other representatives all failed to progress past the group stage.
If only Kashiwa's domestic situation looked as promising. The 2011 champions currently sit 11th in the J. League table after opening the season with three wins, one draw and four defeats, and with second-place Yokohama F. Marinos next up to play on Monday, Kudo knows time is running out to make an impact at home as well as abroad.