Football: Kashima fail to reach ACL group stage, FC Tokyo qualify

Melbourne Victory denied Kashima Antlers a place in the Asian Champions League group stage on Tuesday, upsetting the J-League club 1-0 in a playoff.With the loss, the 2018 ACL champions earned the unwanted distinction of being the first J-League side to fail to advance from the playoffs to the main stage of the tournament.FC Tokyo, meanwhile, clinched a spot in Group F with a 2-0 playoff victory over visiting Filipino side Ceres-Negros.Forward Andrew Nabbout struck the winner for the Australian A-League club early in the second half at a rain-soaked Kashima Stadium.The loss marked an unhapp…READ FULL ARTICLE