Japanese, Korean clubs remain on course for glory

June 25, 2009

TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese clubs remain on course to continue their AFC Champions League success after two J-League clubs booked quarter-final berths despite defeat for defending champions Gamba Osaka.

Osaka crashed out of the competition 3-2 to fellow J-League outfit Kawasaki Frontale Wednesday while Nagoya Grampus beat South Korea’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings 2-1 to book their place in September’s quarter-finals.

South Korea’s K-League also has two teams through to the last eight with victories for FC Seoul and Pohang Steelers.

The Japanese and Korean sides will battle it out against west zone teams Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia, Umm Salal of Qatar, and Pakhtakor and Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan.

Kawasaki Frontale coach Takashi Sekizuka was delighted with his team’s result.

“Winning such an important game today will bring us good confidence, and we?d like to move on and keep fighting hard as a representative of the J-League clubs and Japan,” Sekizuka said.

Dejected Osaka coach Akira Nishino said: “Key players came back from injuries and we played better than I had expected. But we lost goals when my players slowed down in the second half.”

“But it was our best eleven. I was really disappointed, because we cannot play in the Champions League any more while we are regaining our best form,” he added.

Following his side’s clash against Suwon Bluewings, Nagoya’s Serbian coach Dragan Stojkovic said his side had come through a hard battle.

“It was really a tough game but we ended with a win. It gives us a lot of confidence to reach the last eight in Asia.”

Seoul’s Turkish coach Senol Gunes, who oversaw a 5-4 win for his side on penalties after a 2-2 draw against Kashima Antlers, predicted that the winner of the game would go on to lift the trophy.

“It was an exciting game between the top teams from the K-League and the J-League,” said Gunes. “I said before that the winners of this game will reach the final. I still think so.”

“We are going to take game by game to challenge further. It will be good for the team to have a dream (to win the Champions League),” he said.

“In this Champions League, I think Kashima Antlers and FC Seoul are the two strongest teams, so I don’t expect us to have a tougher game than today’s game,” he added.

South Korean side Pohang Steelers thumped Australia’s Newcastle Jets 6-0, with a hat-trick for midfielder Choi Hyo-Jin.

Pohang boss Sergio Farias was full of praise for his midfielder.

“We prepared well and I am happy to see a lot of goals tonight. Our aim was to proceed to the next round and that mission has been accomplished,” he told the AFC Champions League website.

Gamba Osaka won the 2008 Champions League after victory for fellow J-League side Urawa Red Diamonds in 2007.

Tags: AFC, afc champions league, Akira Nishino, Al-Ittihad, antlers, Asia, Australia, berths, CAF Champions League, dragan stojkovic, j league, Japan, k league, Kawasaki, kawasaki frontale, Key, league clubs, Nagoya, nagoya grampus, NEWCASTLE, nishino, Osaka, osaka osaka, pakhtakor, pohang steelers, Qatar, quarter finals, saudi arabia, senol gunes, seoul, Sergio Farias, south korea, suwon bluewings, suwon samsung bluewings, Takashi Sekizuka, tokyo, Umm-Salal, west zone

Japanese teams off to flying start in AFC Champions League

March 11, 2009

TOKYO (AFP) – Japanese teams got off to a flying start in the revamped AFC Champions League on Tuesday, with Gamba Osaka and Nagoya Grampus both earning three valuable points.

Defending champions Gamba served notice that they will not relinquish their title lightly with a dominant 3-0 home win over Chinese Super League champions Shandong Luneng.

In the other game in their group, FC Seoul proved too good for Indonesian outfit Sriwijaya, romping to a 4-2 win with a brace from Kim Chi-Woo and strikes from Jung Jo-Gook and Ki Syun-Yueng.

Only the top team from each of the eight groups progresses to the knockout rounds of Asia’s top club competition that features 20 million dollars in prize money this year as part of the AFC’s attempt to take it to another level.

In another boost for the J-League, Nagoya stunned Ulsan Hyundai 3-1 in Korea.

Japan’s two other participants, Kashima Antlers and Kawasaki Frontale, take on South Korea’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings and China’s Tianjin Teda respectively in Groups G and H on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Beijing Guoan ruined Newcastle Jets’ Champions League debut with a 2-0 home win. A sixth-minute strike from Yue Kaihao set them on their way before Du Wenhui made certain of victory over the Australians in the dying seconds.

In Osaka, Brazilian striker Leandro proved to be Shandong’s chief tormentor and he, Yasuhito Endo and substitute Hayato Sasaki found the back of the net for the hosts in a largely one-sided game.

Leandro got the opener with a sizzling shot in the 20th minute. Endo then converted a penalty after 72 minutes with Sasaki adding another six minutes later.

In Ulsan, Grampus fell behind to a first-half goal by Cho Jin-Soo but turned the tables on their hosts with two second-half headers from defender Maya Yoshida and Brazilian forward Davi.

Rafael Magnum made the game safe with Nagoya’s third three minutes from time.

In the West Asian side of the draw, Iran’s Piroozi Athletic beat Sharjah of Saudi Arabia 3-1.

Elsewhere, Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia beat Qatar’s Al Gharafa by the same scoreline; UAE outfit Al Ahli felled Uzbek heavyweights Pakhtakor 2-1 while the game between another Saudi side, Al Hilal, and Iran’s Saba Battery, was postponed due to a sandstorm.

The group stages wrap up on May 20 with the knockout rounds starting later that month ahead of the final in Japan in November.

Written by: AFP