A-Leagues icon Kevin Muscat made history this weekend, becoming the first Australian head coach to win league titles in Australia, Japan and now China.
Needing a win over Tianjin Jinmen Tiger FC on the final day of the season, Muscat’s Shanghai Port side romped home to an emphatic 5-0 victory in front of their home fans to seal the Chinese Super League (CSL) title.
Powered by the goals of Chinese striker Wu Lei who hit the back of the net 34 times this season, Muscat’s side pipped arch-rivals Shanghai Shenhua to their third CSL title after finishing a point clear of their city neighbours on the ladder.
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Flanked by Australian assistants Ross Aloisi and Vincenzo Ierardo, and head of high performance Greg King, Muscat and Co. have now steered the club to a second consecutive league title – a feat never before achieved by Shanghai Port.
Furthermore, Muscat could be adding yet more silverware to an already bursting individual trophy cabinet before the season is out.
Having captured the league title, Port will now look to end the campaign as double winners when they face Shandong Taishan in the Chinese FA Cup final on November 23.
This latest achievement from Muscat now means the 51-year-old has clinched league titles in the Isuzu UTE A-League with Melbourne Victory, the J-League with Yokohama F.Marinos and the CSL title with Shanghai Port having only taken over at the start of the season.
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Still juggling his side’s commitments in the ACL Elite, Muscat’s name has also now been mentioned once more with regards to the head coaching position at his old club Rangers.
Heavily linked with the job before the Scottish Premiership giants handed the reigns to Philippe Clement, Muscat is again being touted as a possible candidate for the gig should Rangers decide to part ways with their current boss.
Elsewhere it was a memorable weekend for soon-to-be Melbourne Victory goalkeeper Mitch Langerak.
Returning to the Isuzu UTE A-League once the current J.League season finishes in December, Langerak and his Nagoya Grampus side clinched the J.League Cup in the most of dramatic of circumstances.
Playing against former A-Leagues defender Thomas Deng and his Albirex Niigata side, Langerak led Nagoya out as captain in the final which was held at Japan’s National Stadium in Tokyo.
Leading 2-0 until the 71st minute, Nagoya Grampus were left stunned as a VAR check in the 96th minute of the contest saw Niigata awarded a dramatic late penalty which they duly converted.
With both sides scoring in extra time to make it 3-3, it was then down to Langerak to make himself an even bigger hero in the penalty shoot-out.
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After Niigata missed their second spot kick, Langerak stepped up and cooly slotted his side in-front to give them a 2-1 lead.
Socceroo Deng then converted his effort from the spot but Nagoya remained perfect with their penalties, clinching the J-League Cup with a 5-4 shootout victory.
“It’s something I’ve thought about for a couple of months,” said Langerak after what was a memorable evening for the Aussie.
“(We were) out of the Emperor’s Cup, the J. League was becoming difficult, so my thoughts were the Levain Cup and if we could deliver it like today this would be the perfect ending and the perfect way that I could say thank you to this club and thank you to the fans,”
“I wasn’t really nervous,” said the 36-year-old when asked about taking a spot-kick. “I feel comfortable taking a penalty. It’s not easy, but there’s harder things for me to do in a game than take a penalty.
“It was just an amazing atmosphere today, from both sides. It was unbelievable. I think genuinely I’ve only experienced this a couple of times in Germany.”
With now only three more games left to play before he calls time on his J.League career, Langerak has no doubt even further cemented his place in the club’s history.
Agreeing to a move back to old club Melbourne Victory when his current contract expires in December, Langerak expressed his gratitude to the club and it’s supporters having joined the side back in 2018.
“I’ll be Grampus’ No.1 supporter and I’ll be watching from afar,”
“I want the club to take the next step and be regularly competing for titles. Because we are a big club, but until today in the last 10 years or so we haven’t won enough trophies and we haven’t been there enough.
“Hopefully moving forwards in the next couple of years the club can take the next step, and like I said I’ll be the biggest fan watching that.”
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Main picture credit – JIJI
