Kuala Lumpur: Al Hilal defender Mohammed Al Burayk has been named the Toyota Player of the Week following the conclusion of the 2017 AFC Champions League final where Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds defeated the Saudi giants 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-0 win in the second leg on Saturday.
Despite the heartbreaking conclusion of the competition for 25-year-old full-back Al Burayk and his side, the Saudi Arabia international excelled over the two legs of the tournament’s showpiece. At Saitama Stadium, Al Burayk (pictured above, left) had an 80.3% passing accuracy, made two key passes and touched the ball 105 times.
A Youth Academy graduate, Al Burayk gained a rating of 7.4 and was also named in the 2017 AFC Champions League team of the season after he averaged a 91% tackle rate over the tournament and chalked up four assists from 39 crosses.
Second on this week’s list is Urawa Red Diamonds captain Yuki Abe who helped his side keep a vital clean sheet in the second leg in Saitama. The 36-year-old midfielder-turned-defender earned another AFC Champions League winners’ medal to add to his 2007 version having played in the final a decade ago.
Abe’s role in leading his team’s defensive line saw him tally an 80% passing accuracy, make three tackles, and win two fouls in the second leg as he earned a 7.2 rating.
Osama Hawsawi comes in at third on the Toyota Player of the Week list with a rating of 7.1 after the Al Hilal captain performed with distinction for the Riyadh club.
Over the two legs of the final, Hawsawi made 118 passes and his overall performance in the tournament saw him join Al Burayk in the team of the season, having made 22 interceptions and 10 blocks.
Urawa defender Tomoaki Makino is next on the list after scoring a 6.8 rating. On Saturday, the Japan international won one tackle and made 35 passes with a 62.9% passing accuracy, while also touching the ball 51 times.
Rounding off the top five is Urawa goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa who earned the Tsing Tsao Man of the Match award in the first leg in Saudi Arabia, before keeping a clean sheet in Japan with a 100% save success rate to gain a 6.7 rating.
Two more Urawa players fill the sixth and seventh spots of the Toyota Player of the Week: Wataru Endo (6.7) and Rafael Silva (6.5). At Saitama, Endo won four tackles and two fouls while touching the ball 90 times, while Rafael Silva scored both of Urawa’s goals over the two legs.
And completing the top eight is Al Hilal striker and AFC Player of the Year nominee Omar Khribin who boasted an impressive 91% pass accuracy and touched the ball 91 times to register a 6.5 rating.
Photos: AFP & Lagardère Sports
Source: the-afc.com