At Tokyo:
Thanks to goals courtesy of Noh Byung-Joon (57') and Kim Hyung-Il (66'), Pohang Steelers held off Al-Ittihad 2-1 Saturday to win the championship match of the AFC Champions League. This marks Pohang's third AFC club title. Here, we see the happy Steelers with the Asian club championship club trophy.
The South Korean club will play in next month's FIFA Club World Cup, to be staged in the United Arab Emirates.
Photo © Getty Images
The two-match series in the semifinal round of the AFC Champions League concluded on Wednesday.
At Nagoya, Japan:
Saleh Al-Saqri (43') and Amine Chermiti (59') each scored once as Al-Ittihad defeated Nagoya Grampus 2-1 on the road in game two and took the two-match series 8-3 on aggregate.
At Doha, Qatar:
Pohang Steelers defeated Umm-Salal 2-0 on the road in game two to win the two-match set 4-1 on aggregate. Stevica Ristic (55') and Byung Joon Noh (59') provided the scoring for the victorious South Korean club.
At-Ittihad and Pohang Steelers will play for the Asian club title on November 7 in a one-game championship match at Tokyo's national stadium. The winner would qualify for Decmeber's FIFA Club World Cup, which will take place in the United Arab Emirates.
The semifinal round of the AFC Champions League commenced on Wednesday.
At Pohang, South Korea:
Hwang Jae-Won (45'+2) and Kim Jae-Sung (79') each scored once as the Pohang Steelers took the opening match of their two-game semifinal series with Umm-Salal 2-0 at home.
At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:
Japan's Nagoya Grampus visited Al-Ittihad in match one of their two-game series----and got blown out 6-2---and this after leading 2-1 at halftime. Mohammed Noor's second-half hat trick (65', 76', 90'+1) was part of a five-goal second half barrage by the hosts.
The AFC Champions League's quarterfinal round concluded with four games on Wednesday.
At Pohang, South Korea:
Goals from Kim Jae-Sung (46') and Denilson (57', 77') enabled Pohang Steelers to take game two of their two-match set with FC Bunyodkor 3-1, forcing overtime, during which Stevo scored the series winner at 102 minutes to send the hosts into the semifinal round, taking the series 5-4 on aggregate.
At Nagoya, Japan:
In game two of the two match series between Japanese clubs, Ogawa Yoshizumi (27'), Maya Yoshida (35'), and Joshua Kennedy (88') each tallied once as Nagoya Grampus overturned their 2-1 road defeat from last week by defeating visiting Kawasaki Frontale 3-1 in game two and winning the two-match set 4-3 on aggregate.
At Seoul, South Korea:
Aziz Ben Askar's goal at 13 minutes enabled Umm-Salal to gain a 1-1 road draw with FC Seoul. The club from Qater took the two-match set 4-3 on aggregate.
At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:
Goals from Sultan Al Namare (43'), Amine Chermiti (55'), Hicham Aboucherouane (71'), and Mohammed Noor (77') powered Al-Ittihad to a game-two 4-0 frontier-styled fistbeating of Pakhtakor Tashkent and a 5-1 aggregate win for the two-match set.
The semifinal round is now set.
The two two-match home-and-away series will get under way on October 21 as Nagoya Grampus will travel to Saudi Arabia to take on Al-Ittihad while Umm-Salal will head to South Korea for a game-one encounter with Pohang Steelers.
The return contests will both take place on October 28 in Japan and Qatar.
The winner will face each other in the final which will take place on November 7 at Tokyo's National Stadium.
At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:Saleh Al Saqri's equalizer at 71 minutes enabled Al-Ittihad to gain a 1-1 road draw with FC Pakhtakor Tashkent in game one of their AFC Champions League quarterfinal series on Thursday. The hosts were represented on the scoreboard by Milan Nikolic at 6 minutes.
The quarterfinal round of the AFC Champions League commenced on Wednesday with three games.
At Tokyo:
Kengo Nakamura (60') and Juninho (63') provided the second-half scoring that enabled Kawasaki Frontale to overcome a 1-0 halftime deficit and top visiting Nagoya Grampus 2-1 in game one of the two Japanese clubs' two-match home-and-away series. The visitors still managed to get what may be, in the end, a critical away goal at 28 minutes from Joshua Kennedy.
At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:
FC Bunyodkor, with goals from Victor Karpenko (29') and Server Djeparov (79', 85') overcame an early one-goal deficit and topped visiting Pohang Steelers in the two clubs' series opener.
At Doha, Qatar:
Magno Alves scored twice (55', 85') and Fabio Cesar (84') added one of his own as Umm-Salal erased a two-goal halftime deficit and defeated FC Seoul 3-2 in the opening contest of their two-legged series. Jung Jo-Gook's away double (3', 45')kept the South Korean club in the series.
Here are results from Monday's draw for the quarterfinal round of the AFC Champions League that took place Monday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
Umm Salal vs. FC Seoul
Kawasaki Frontale vs. Nagoya Grampus
FC Bunyodkor vs. Pohang Steelers
Pakhtakor Tashkent vs. Al-Ittihad
The two-match series will start at the home field of the clubs listed first with the first three series listed beginning on September 23 and the Pakhtakor Tashkent-Al-Ittihad series starting on September 24. All four return matches will be played on September 30.
The East Asian portion of the first knockout round of the AFC Champions League took place on Wednesday.
At Nagoya, Japan:
Yoshizuma Ogawa (22') and Keiji Tamada (67') each scored once as Nagoya Grampus held off visiting Suwon Bluewings 2-1.
At Suita, Japan:
Kengo Nakamura (33'), Renatinho (76'), and Masaru Kurotsu (85') each provided a tally as Kawasaki Frontale knocked off and dethroned defending champions Gamba Osaka 3-2 on the road.
At Kashima, Japan:
After Ki Sung-Yong's goal at 78 minutes forced what turned out to be 30 scoreless overtime minutes, Lee Sung-Hyup, Jung Jo-Gook, Ki Sung-Yong, Kim Jin-Kyu, and Park Yong-Ho each converted his penalty kick as FC Seoul, after a game on the road with Kashima Antlers that had been deadlocked at 2-2 after 120 minutes, won the penalty kick shoouout 5-4 (in seven rounds) to advance to the quarterfinals.
At Pohang, South Korea:
Choi Hyo-Jin's hat trick (15', 63', 72') was part of an offensive ambush as Pohang Steelers made life miserable for the Newcastle United Jets as they brassknuckled the visiting Australian club 6-0.
The draw for the quarterfinal round will take place next Monday at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The West Asian portion of the round of 16 in the AFC Champions League concluded Wednesday.
At Tehran, Iran:
Rivaldo's successful penalty kick at 41 minutes provided all the scoring as FC Bunyodkor defeated Persepolis FC 1-0 on the road.
At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:
In a battle of Saudi Arabian clubs, Al-Ittihad, with goals from Osama Al-Harbi (46') and Hicham Aboucherouane (90'), defeated visiting Al-Shabab 2-1 to reach the quarterfinal round.
At Damman, Saudi Arabia:
Zaynitdin Tadjyev (79') and Alexander Geynrikh (90'+1) provided the goalpower as Pakhtakor Tashkent came from behind to defeat Al-Ettifaq 2-1 on the road.
At Riyada, Saudi Arabia:After 120 scoreless minutes, successful conversions by Aziz Ben Askar, Magno Alves, Mohamed Husain, and Ibrahima N'Daiye powered Umm-Salal to a 4-3 win in the penalty-kick shootout on the road against Al-Hilal to advance to the quarterfinal round of the AFC Champions League.
Group stage play in the AFC Champions League concluded Wednesday.
Group A:
At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Al-Hilal, with goals from Mohammad Al-Anbar (37') and Ahmed Al-Swaileh (64'), blanked visiting Pakhtakor Tashkent to win Group A. Both clubs already locked up berths in the knockout stage.
At Dubai, UAE
With five different goal scorers tallying once apiece, Saba Battery FC outlasts hosts Al-Ahli 5-3.
FINAL GROUP A STANDINGS:
1. Al-Hilal (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 14)
2. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 13)
3. Saba Battery FC (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 5)
4. Al-Ahli (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 1)
Al Hilal and Pakhtakor Tashkent advanced to the knockout stage.
Group B:
At Tehran, Iran:
Moshen Khalili scored the game's only goal (46') as Persepolis FC defeated visiting Al-Shabab 1-0 in a battle of knockout-stage-bound clubs.
FINAL GROUP B STANDINGS:
1. Persepolis FC (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 7)
2. Al-Shabab (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
Persepolis FC and Al-Shabab advanced to the knockout stage.
Group E:
At Peking, China:
Gou Hui scored the equalizer at 81 minutes to enable Beijing Guoan to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Nagoya Grampus (whose Oribe Niikawa scored at 35 minutes).
At Ulsan, South Korea:
Jason Hoffman's goal at 36 minutes powered Newcastle United Jets into the knockout stage as the Australian club defeated Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i 1-0 on the road to claim Group E's second knockout stage berth.
FINAL GROUP E STANDINGS:
1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 6; GD: +6; PTS: 12)
2. Newcastle United Jets (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 10)
3. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (GP: 6; GD: -6; PTS: 6)
4. Beijing Guoan (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
Nagoya Grampus and Newcastle United Jets advanced to the knockout stage.
Group F:
At Osaka, Japan:
Dejan Damjanovic (74') and Kim Han-Yoon (90'+1) provided the scoring that enabled FC Seoul to come from behind to post a 2-1 road win over Gamba Osaka and join the Japanese club in the knockout stage.
At Palembang, Indonesia:
Even though they had an otherwise abysmal showing in this year's Asian Champions League, Sriwijaya FC did not quit and they knocked off visiting Shandong Luneng 4-2 for their first win of the tounament and ruining any hope the Chinese club had of advancing to the round of 16. Zah Rahan Krangar doubled (73', 80') for the hosts, who erased a two-goal deficit.
FINAL GROUP F STANDINGS:
1. Gamba Osaka (GP: 6; GD: +13; PTS: 15)
2. FC Seoul (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
3. Shandong Luneng (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. Swijiyaya FC (GP: 6 ; GD: -17; PTS: 3)
Gamba Osaka and FC Seoul advanced to the knockout stage.
The round of 16 will consist of one-match sets (or one-legged ties).
The home clubs will be listed first.
West Asia, May 27:
Al-Hilal vs. Umm-Salal at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Persepolis FC vs. FC Bunyodkor at Tehran, Iran
Al-Ittihad vs. Al-Shabab at Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Al-Ettifaq vs. Pakhtakor Tashkent at Dammam, Saudi Arabia
East Asia, June 24:
Nagoya Grampus vs. Suwon Bluewings at Nagoya, Japan
Gamba Osaka vs. Kawasaki Frontale at Suita, Japan
Kashima Antlers vs. FC Seoul at Kashima, Japan
Pohang Steelers vs. Newcastle United Jets at Pohang, South Korea
The winners of these matches would advance to the quarterfinal round.
Tuesday marked the beginning of the final week of AFC Champions League group stage play.
Group C:
At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:
In a battle of the two clubs who already advanced to the first knockout round, Al-Ittihad won Group C with a 7-0 home billyclubbing of Umm-Salal.
At Dubai, UAE:
In the final Champions League contest for both clubs, Al-Jazira were held to a 2-2 home draw by Esteghlal FC. Ali Ahmed and Redha Al Jaberi scored for the hosts, while the visitors got goals from Ali Alizadeh and Hadi Shakouri.
FINAL GROUP C STANDINGS:
1. Al-Ittihad (GP: 6; GD: +10; PTS: 12)
2. Umm-Salal (GP: 6; GD: -7; PTS: 8)
3. Al-Jazira (GP: 6; GD: -1; PTS: 5)
4. Esteghlal FC (GP: 6; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
Al-Ittihad and Um-Salal advanced to the knockout stage.
Group D:
At Estafan, Iran:
With goals from Hossein Papi (2'), Hadi Asghari (52'), Hamid Azizzadeh (81'), Sepahan FC throttled Group D winners Al-Ettifaq 3-0 at home. The win, though, was not good enough for the Iranian club to advance beyond the group stage.
At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:
FC Bunyodkor, despite being held to a 0-0 draw at home by Al-Shabab Al-Arabi, still advanced to the knockout stage.
FINAL GROUP D STANDINGS:
1. Al-Ettifaq (GP: 6; GD: +7; PTS: 12)
2. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 6; GD: -4; PTS: 8)
3. Sepahan FC (GP: 6; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
4. Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (GP: 6; GD: -5; PTS: 7)
Al-Ettifaq and FC Bunyodkor advanced to the knockout stage.
Group G:
At Suwon, South Korea:
Suwon Bluewings, with goals from Bae Ki-Jong (5'), Lee Sang-Ho (45'), and Seo Dong-Hyun (PK-90;), tripled visiting Singapore Armed Forces FC 3-1. The South Korean club locked up a knockout stage berth.
At Shanghai, China:
Kashima Antlers locked up Group G with a 1-1 road draw against Shanghai Shenhua, thanks to Marquinhos' equalizer at 33 minutes.
FINAL GROUP G STANDINGS:
1. Kashima Antlers (GP: 6; GD: +10; PTS: 13)
2. Suwon Bluewings (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 12)
3. Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
4. Singapore Armed Forces FC (GP: 6; GD: -15; PTS: 1)
Kashima Antlers and Suwon Bluewings advanced to the knockout stage.
Group H:
At Kawasaki, Japan:
In a matchup of the two Group H clubs who advanced to the knockout stage, Noh Byung-Joon (12') and Denilson (72') provided the goalpower that lifted Pohang Steelers to a 2-0 road win over Kawasaki Frontale to claim the Group H title for the South Korean club.
At Gosford, New South Wales, Australia:
Mao Biao scored the only goal of the match (64') as Tianjin Teda FC closed out Champions League play with a 1-0 road win over fellow eliminated club Central Coast Mariners.
FINAL GROUP H STANDINGS:
1. Pohang Steelers (GP: 6; GD: +4; PTS: 12)
2. Kawasaki Frontale (GP: 6; GD: +3; PTS: 10)
3. Tianjin Teda FC (GP: 6; GD: +1; PTS: 8)
4. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 6; GD: -8; PTS: 2)
Pohang Steelers and Kawasaki Frontale advanced to the knockout stage.
Group stage play concludes Wednesday.
Wednesday saw the continuation of group stage play in the Asian Champions League.
Group A:
At Qom, Iran:
Tarik El-Taib scored the game's lone goal (42') as Al-Hilal locked up a berth in the knockout stage with a 1-0 road win over Saba Battery FC.
At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:
Pakhtakor Tashkent, already bound for the Round of 16, got tallies from Zaynitdin Tadjyev (38') and Alexandar Geynrikh (58') as they defeated visiting Al-Ahli 2-1.
GROUP A STANDINGS:
1. Pakhtakor Tashkent* (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 13)
2. Al-Hilal* (GP: 5; GD: +4; PTS: 11)
3. Saba Battery FC# (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 2)
4. Al-Ahli# (GP: 5; GD: -6; PTS: 1)
*Advanced to the knockout stage
#Eliminated
Group B:
At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Nasser Al-Shamrani's successful penalty kick (90'+3) was all the scoring as Al-Shabab locked up a knockout stage berth 1-0 at home over Al-Gharafa, eliminating the guests from contention and putting Iran's Persepolis in the Sweet Sixteen as well.
GROUP B STANDINGS:
1. Al-Shabab* (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Persepolis FC* (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
3. Al-Gharafa# (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
*Advanced to the knockout stage
#Eliminated
NOTE: Sharjah FC (United Arab Emirates) withdrew from the tounament on May 4 and all results involving this club were declared null and void.
Group E:
At Nagoya, Japan:
Goals from Yoshizumi (14', 71'), Yuki Maki (22'), and Davi (58') lifted Nagoya Grampus to a 4-1 home fistbeating of Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i, locking up the Group E title in the process.
At Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia:
Late second-half goals from Sasho Petrovski (88') and Sean Rooney (90'+4) lifted Newcastle United Jets to a 2-1 comeback home win over Beijing Guoan, lifting the Australian club into second place in Group E and eliminating the Chinese club from knockout stage contention.
GROUP E STANDINGS:
1. Nagoya Grampus** (GP: 5; GD: +6; PTS: 11)
2. Newcastle United Jets (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 6)
4. Beijing Guoan# (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
**Won Group E and advanced to the knockout stage
#Eliminated
Group F:
At Jinan, China:
Leandro's goal at 59 minutes provided all the scoring as Gamba Osaka laid claim to the Group F title with a 1-0 road win over Shandong Luneng.
GROUP F STANDINGS:
1. Gamba Osaka** (GP: 5; GD: +14; PTS: 15)
2. Shandong Luneng (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
3. FC Seoul (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 7)
4. Srijwijaya FC# (GP: 5; GD: -19; PTS: 0)
**Won Group F and advanced to the knockout stage
#Eliminated
Matchday #5 in group stage play in the AFC Champions League began Tuesday.
Group C:
At Tehran, Iran:
Ali Alizadeh's equalizer at 89 minutes enabled Esteghlal to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Al-Ittihad. Hicham Aboucherouane scored at 81 minutes for the Saudi club who will be playing in the knockout stage, which will not include their Iranian club hosts.
At Doha, Qatar:
Umm-Salal were held to a 2-2 home draw by Al-Jazira, but the hosts nevertheless clinched a Round-of-16 berth in the AFC Champions League while the visiting club from the Emirates have been eliminated.
GROUP C STANDINGS:
1. Al-Ittihad* (GP: 5; GD: +3; PTS: 9)
2. Amm-Salal* (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 8)
3. Al-Jazira# (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. Esteghlal FC# (GP: 5; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
*Advanced to the knockout stage
#Eliminated
Group D:
At Dubai, UAE:
Al-Shabab Al-Arabi stayed alive in the competition following their 2-1 home win over Sepahan FC, which eliminated the Iranian club from the tounament.
At Dammam, Saudi Arabia:
Al-Ettifaq locked up a spot in the Round-of-16 (and clinched top spot in Group D in the process) thanks to their 4-0 home beatdown of FC Bunyodkor.
GROUP D STANDINGS:
1. Al-Ettifaq**(GP: 5; GD: +10; PTS: 12)
2. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 5; GD: -4; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (GP: 5; GD: -5; PTS: 6)
4. Sepahan FC# (GP: 5; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
**Won Group D and advanced to the knockout stage
#Eliminated
Group F:
At Seoul, South Korea:
Dejan Damjanovic's hat trick (17', 72' 90'+2) combined with Sim Woo-Yeon's brace (75', 79') as FC Seoul delivered a 5-1 home fistbeating to Sriwijaya FC.
Group G:
At Kashima, Japan:
Kashima Antlers locked up berth in the knockout stage with their 3-0 home domination of Suwon Bluewings. The Antlers got goalpower courtesy of Go Oiwa (26') and Marquinhos (31', 74')
At Singapore:
Singapore Armed Forces picked up their first point tournament as they gained a 1-1 home draw with Shanghai Shenhua, perhaps delivering a serieous blow to the Chinese club's hopes of advancing to the knockout stage. Ahmad Latiff scored for SAFFC at 29 minutes, while Hernan Barcos adverted what could have been an embarassing and cripling defeat with his equalizer at 90'+1.
GROUP G STANDINGS:
1. Kashima Antlers* (GP: 5; GD: +10; PTS: 12)
2. Suwon Bluewings (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
3. Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 5; GD: +1; PTS: 7)
4. Singapore Armed Forces (GP: 5; GD: -13; PTS: 1)
Group H:
At Pohang, South Korea:
Denilson's hat trick (8', 71', 88') helped Pohang Steelers lock up a knockout stage berth as they held off visiting Central Coast Mariners 3-2.
At Tianjin, China:
Ma Leilei's double (12', 19') helped Tianjin Teda defeat visiting (and Round-of-16-bound) Kawasaki Frontale 3-1. The Chinese club were still eliminated from the tournament because of the Pohang Steelers win over Central Coast Mariners.
GROUP H STANDINGS:
1. Kawasaki Frontale* (GP: 5; GD: +5; PTS: 10)
2. Pohang Steelers* (GP: 5; GD: +2; PTS: 9)
3. Tianjin Teda FC# (GP: 5; GD: 0; PTS: 5)
4. Central Coast Mariners# (GP: 5; GD: -7; PTS: 2)
*Advanced to the knockout stage
#Eliminated
Sharjah FC from the United Arab Emirated withdrew from the AFC Champions League and their scores have been stricken from Group B.
The club may end up in deep excrement with the AFC as well as the Emirates' soccer league over that decision.
Matchday #4 in AFC Champions League group stage action concluded Wednesday.
Group A:
At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:
Goals from Odil Ahmedov (PK-36') and Stanislav Andreev (49') locked up a knockout stage berth for Pakhtakor Tashkent as the hosts placed Saba Battery FC on the brink of elimination 2-1.
At Dubai, UAE:
Al-Hilal, thanks to tallies courtesy of Mahmood Qassim (3'), Mirel Radoi, and Yasser Al Qahtani (64'), reached the cusp of the Round of 16 with their 3-1 road win over now-eliminated Al-Ahli.
GROUP A STANDINGS:
1. Pakhtakor Tashkent* (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 10)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
3. Saba Battery FC (GP: 4; GD: -3; PTS: 2)
4. Al-Ahli# (GP: 4; GD: -4; PTS: 1)
*Clinched berth in knockout stage
#Eliminated from contention for knockout stage berth
Group C:
At Tehran, Iran:
Esteghlal FC settled for a 1-1 home draw with Umm-Salal. Arash Borhani scored first for the host (44"), but Saud Ghanem equalized (71') for the second-place visitors.
At Jeddah, Saudi Arabia:
In another 1-1 stalemate, Al-Ittihad hosted Al-Jazira. Osama Al-Muwallad scored at 40 minutes, while the visiting club from the Emirates (whose teams have been struggling in this year's tounament) got the equalizer from Fernando Baiano at 71 minutes.
GROUP C STANDINGS:
1. Al-Ittihad (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. Umm-Salal (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Jazira (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Esteghlal FC (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)
Group E:
At Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia:
Yoshizumi Ogawa provided the only goal of the match (56') as Nagoya Grampus racked up a 1-0 road win over Newcastle United Jets.
At Peking, China:
Oh Jang-Eun provided the game's lone score (72') as Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i defeated hosts Beijing Guoan 1-0. The win placed the South Korean club in sole posession of second place in Group E.
GROUP E STANDINGS:
1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 4; GD: +3; PTS: 8)
2. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 6)
3. Beijing Guoan (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Newcastle United Jets (GP: 4; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
Group G:
At Kahima, Japan:
Shinzo Koroki's double (38', 74') was part of a big offensive display as Kashima Antlers eliminated the Singapore Armed Forces from the tournament with a 5-0 home brassknuckling.
At Suwon, South Korea:
Lee Sang-Ho (41') and Bae Ki-Jong (45') provided the scoring as Suwon Bluewings doubled up visiting Shanghai Shenhua 2-1.
GROUP G STANDINGS:
1. Suwon Bluewings (GP: 4; GD: +5; PTS: 9)
2. Kashima Antlers (GP: 4; GD: +7; PTS: 9)
3. Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
4. Singapore Armed Forces (GP: 4; GD: -13; PTS: 0)
Group stage play in the AFC Champions League resumed Tuesday.
Group B:
At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Nasser Al-Shamrani's hat trick (43', 46', 60') combined with Abdulaziz Saran's double (16', 65') to power Al-Shabab to a 5-0 home horsewhipping of Sharjah FC, eliminating the club from the Emirates from contention for a knockout-stage berth.
At Doha, Qatar:
Aroujo's hat trick (43', 45'+2, 81') was just part of an offensive barrage that carried Al-Gharafa to a 5-1 home beatdown of Persepolis FC.
GROUP B STANDINGS:
1. Al-Shabab (GP: 4; GD: +9; PTS: 10)
2. Persepolis FC (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 4; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
4. Sharjah FC# (GP: 4; GD: -11; PTS: 0)
#Eliminated from contention for a knockout stage berth
Group D:
At Esfahan, Iran:
Timur Kapadze scored the only goal of the match (19') as FC Bunyodkor defeated hosts Sepahan FC 1-0.
At Dubai, UAE:
Prince Tagoe played like a King as his triple (30', 54', 84') helped visiting Al-Ettifaq hammered Al-Shabab Al-Arabi 4-1.
GROUP D STANDINGS:
1. Al-Ettifaq (GP: 4; GD: +6; PTS: 9)
2. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 7)
3. Sepahan FC (GP: 4; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 3)
Group F:
At Palembang, Indonesia:
Leandro (29'), Hayato Sasaki (45'+0), and Cho Jae-Lin (75') each scored once as Gamba Osaka locked up a berth in the knockout stage with a 3-0 road win over Sriwijaya FC, eliminating the Indonesian club from contention.
At Seoul, South Korea:
Alejandro Cichero's equalizer (79') enabled Shandong Luneng to keep control of second place in Group F as they held hosts FC Seoul to a 1-1 draw. Park Yong-Ho scored the hosts' lone goal at 24 minutes.
GROUP F STANDINGS:
1. Gamba Osaka* (GP: 4; GD: +13; PTS: 12)
2. Shandong Luneng (GP: 4; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. FC Seoul (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 4)
4. Sriwijaya FC# (GP: 4; GD: -15; PTS: 0)
*Clinched berth in knockout stage
#Eliminated from contention for knockout stage berth
Group H:
At Kawasaki, Japan:
Juninho (45') and Renatinho (80') each tallied once as Kawasaki Frontale clinched a spot in the knockout stage with a 2-1 home win over Central Coast Mariners FC.
At Tianjin, China:
Pohang Steelers held hosts Tianjin Teda FC to a 0-0 stalemate.
GROUP H STANDINGS:
1. Kawasaki Frontale* (GP: 4; GD: +7; PTS: 10)
2. Pohang Steelers (GP: 4; GD: +1; PTS: 6)
3. Tianjin Teda FC (GP: 4; GD: -2; PTS: 2)
4. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 4; GD: -6; PTS: 2)
*Clinched berth in knockout stage
AFC Champions League Match Day #3 concluded Wednesday:
Group B
At Sharjah, United Arab Emirates:
Goals from Nasser Al Shamrani (PK-21'), Abdoh Autef (42'), and Marcelo Camacho (49') paced Al-Shabab to a 3-1 road win over Sharjah FC.
At Tehran, Iran:
Persepolis FC, fueled by tallies from Maziar Zare (PK-36'), Ibrahima Toure (45'), and Alireza Nikbakht (48'), dominated visiting Al-Gharafa 3-1.
GROUP B STANDINGS:
1. Persepolis FC (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
2. Al-Shabab (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 7)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Sharjah FC (GP: 3; GD: -6; PTS: 0)
Group D:
At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:
Goals from Shavkat Salomov (25') and Bakhtiyor Ashurmatov (74') enabled FC Bunyodkor to salvage a 2-2 home deadlock with Sepahan FC. The Iranian club got goals from Hadi Aghili (45'+2) and Emad Mohammed (61').
At Damman, Saudi Arabia:
Al-Ettifaq dominated visiting Al-Shabab Al-Arabi 4-1. Prince Taqoe (7', 82') and Saleh Bashir (16', 68') each doubled for the hosts.
GROUP D STANDINGS:
1. Al-Ettifaq (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Sepahan FC (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 4)
4. Al-Shabab Al-Arabi (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
Group F:
At Suita, Japan:
Leandro's double (39', 43') was just part of an offensive barage that paced Gamba Osaka to a 5-0 frontier-styled fistbeating of hapless guests Sriwijaya FC.
At Jinan, China:
Lu Zheng (54') and Han Peng (72') each scored once as Shandong Luneng blanked visiting FC Seoul 2-0.
GROUP F STANDINGS:
1. Gamba Osaka (GP: 3; GD: +10; PTS: 9)
2. Shandong Luneng (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
3. FC Seoul (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 3)
4. Sriwijaya FC (GP: 3; GD: -12; PTS: 0)
Group H:
At Gosford, New South Wales, Australia:
Chong Tese (7'), Hiroyuki Taniguchi (21'), Juninho (36'), Kengo Naknmura (48'), and Renatinho (69') each contributed a goal as Kawasaki Frontale let the good times roll in their 5-0 road demolition of the Central Coast Mariners.
At Pohang, South Korea:
Hwang Jin-Sung scored the only goal of the match (68') as the Pohang Steelers topped visiting Tianjin Teda FC 1-0.
GROUP H STANDINGS:
1. Kawasaki Frontale (GP: 3; GD: +6; PTS: 7)
2. Pohang Steelers (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 3; GD: -5; PTS: 2)
4. Tianjin Teda FC (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
Matchday #3 of group stage play in the AFC Champions League commenced Tuesday.
Group A:
At Qom, Iran:
Pakhtakor Tashkent blanked Saba Battery 2-0 on the road, thanks to goals from Zaynitdin Tadjiev (56') and Farhod Tadjiev (64').
At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Al-Hilal, with goals from Yasser Saeed Alqahtani (32') and Mirel Radoi (90'+3), doubled up on visiting Emirates club Al-Ahli 2-1.
GROUP A STANDINGS:
1. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 5)
3. Saba Battery FC (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: -2)
4. Al-Ahli (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
Group C:
At Doha, Qatar:
Fabio Cesar Montezine scored the game's lone goal (67') as Umm-Salal picked up a 1-0 home win over Esteghlal FC of Iran.
At Dubai, United Arab Emirates:
Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad held hosts Al-Jazira to a 0-0 draw.
GROUP C STANDINGS:
1. Al Ittihad (GP: 3; GD: +3; PTS: 7)
2. Umm-Salal (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 6)
3. Al-Jazira (GP: 3; GD: -1; PTS: 2)
4. Esteghlal FC (GP: 3; GD: -2; PTS: 1)
Group E:
At Nagoya, Japan:
Keiji Tamada's equalizer at 63 minutes enabled Nagoya Grampus to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Newcastle United Jets. Tarek Elrich scored at 7 minutes for the Australian club.
At Ulsan, South Korea:
Oh Jang-Eun scored the only goal of the match (69') as Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i blanked visiting Beijing Guoan 1-0.
GROUP E STANDINGS:
1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 5)
2. Beijing Guoan (GP: 3; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
3. Newcastle United Jets (GP: 3; GD: 0; PTS: 4)
4. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (GP: 3; GD: -3; PTS: 3)
Group G:
At Singapore:
Goals from Masashi Motoyama (22'), Atsuto Uchida (42'), and Yuya Osako (48') helped paced Kashima Antlers to a 4-1 road beatdown of Singapore Armed Forces FC, placing the Singaporean club on the cusp of elimination.
At Shanghai, China:
Yanko Valkanov (18') and Vyacheslav Hleb (75') provided the scoring as Shanghai Shenhua defeated visiting Suwon Bluewings 2-1.
GROUP G STANDINGS:
1. Suwon Bluewings (GP: 3; GD: +4; PTS: 6)
2. Kashima Antlers (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
3. Shanghai Shenhua (GP: 3; GD: +2; PTS: 6)
4. Singapore Armed Forces (GP: 3; GD: -8; PTS: 0)
Matchday #2 in group stage play in the AFC Champions League concluded Wednesday.
Group C:
At Tehran, Iran:
Hassein Kazemi's goal (45'+4) enabled Esteghial FC to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Al-Jazira (UAE). The club from the Emirates got an early goal from Fernando Baiano (10').
At Doha, Qatar:
Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad overcame a 1-0 first-half deficit to defeat Umm-Salal Sports Club 3-1 on the road. Hamad Al Montashari (42'), Morais Renato Caja (56'), and Hicham Aboucherouane (61') provided the goals for the guests
GROUP C STANDINGS:
1. Al-Ittihad (GP: 2; GD: +3; PTS: 6)
2. Umm Salal (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
3. Esteghlal FC (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
4. Al-Jazira (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
Group D:
At Dubai, UAE:
Goals from Issa Obaid (3') and Musawengosi Mguni (40') powered Al-Shabab to a 2-0 home win over Uzbekistan's FC Bunyodkor.
At Damman, Saudi Arabia:
Al-Ittifaq overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit, with goals from Abdulrahman Al Qahtani (64') and Hamed Al-Hamed (85'), to defeat visiting Sepahan FC of Iran 2-1.
GROUP D STANDINGS:
1. Sepahan FC (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
2. Al-Ittifaq (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
3. Al-Shabab (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. FC Bunyodkor (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
Group G:
At Kashima, Japan:
Goals courtesy of Takuya Nozawa (43') and Yuya Osako (79') paced Kashima Antlers to a 2-0 home win over Shanghai Shenhua.
At Singapore:
A double from Edu (a.k.a.Eduardo Goncalves de Oliveira) (PK-65', 71') lifted Suwon Bluewings to a 2-0 road win over Singapore Armed Forces FC.
GROUP G STANDINGS:
1. Suwon Bluewings (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
2. Shanghai Shenua (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 3)
3. Kashima Antlers (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 3)
4. Singapore Armed Forces (GP: 2; GD: -5; PTS: 0)
Group H:
At Pohang, South Korea:
Shuhei Terada's equalizer at 22 minutes enabled Kawasaki Frontale to gain a 1-1 road deadlock with Pohang Steelers, whose Kim Jae-Sung scored at 10 minutes.
At Tianjin, China:
Australia's Central Coast Mariners battled Tianjin Teda to a 2-2 stalemate. Adrian Caceres (49') and Matt Simon (62') scored for the visitors, while Eber Luis Cucchi (37') and Wu Wei'an (66') tallied for the hosts.
GROUP H STANDINGS:
1. Kawasaki Frontale (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
2. Central Coast Mariners (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
3. Pohang Steelers (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS 2)
4. Tianjin Teda (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
Group stage play in the AFC Champions League resumed Tuesday:
Group A:
At Qom, Iran:
Al-Ahli (United Arab Emirates) held hosts Saba Battery FC to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Tashkent, Uzbekistan:
Zaynitdin Tadjyev's goal at 57 minutes enabled Pakhtakor Tashkent to salvage a 1-1 home draw with Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal, whose Mirel Radoi had put them ahead briefly on a successful 55th-minute penalty kick.
GROUP A STANDINGS:
1. Pakhtakor Tashkent (GP: 2; GD: +1; PTS: 4)
2. Al-Hilal (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
3. Saba Battery FC (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 2)
4. Al-Ahli (GP: 2; GD: -1; PTS: 1)
Group B:
At Riyadh, Saudi Arabia:
Visiting Persepolis FC (Iran) held Al-Shabab to a 0-0 deadlock.
At Sharjah, United Arab Emirates:
Qatar's Al-Gharafa defeated Sharjah FC 2-0 on the road, thanks to tallies from Nasser Kamil (16') and Clemerson de Araujo Soares (53')
GROUP B STANDINGS:
1. Persepolis FC (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
Al-Shabab (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. Al-Gharafa (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Sharjah FC (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)
Group E:
At Nagoya, Japan:
Beijing Guoan held homestanding Nagoya Grampus to a 0-0 stalemate.
At Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia:
Sasho Petrovski's double (15', 42') provided all the scoring as Newcastle United Jets blanked visiting Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i 2-0.
GROUP E STANDINGS:
1. Nagoya Grampus (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
2. Beijing Gouan (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 4)
3. Newcastle United Jets (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i (GP: 2; GD: -4; PTS: 0)
Group F:
At Seoul, South Korea:
Leandro Montera da Silva's hat trick (61', 74', 83') enabled visiting Gamba Osaka to double-up FC Seoul 4-2.
At Jinan, China:
Doubles from Li Jinyu (16', 26') and Miljan Mrdakovic (80', 84') enabled Shandong Luneng to beat the snot out of visiting Sriwijaya 5-0.
GROUP F STANDINGS:
1. Gamba Osaka (GP: 2; GD: +5; PTS: 6)
2. Shandong Luneng (GP: 2; GD: +2; PTS: 3)
3. FC Seoul (GP: 2; GD: 0; PTS: 3)
4. Sriwijaya (GP: 2; GD: -7; PTS: 0)
