Jeonbuk opens with victory over Shandong, Shenhua held
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Abdulkader Dakka (left) of Shanghai Shenhua competes for a header with Daiki Iwamasa of Kashima Antlers during their AFC Champions League Group H match at Hongkou Football Stadium in Shanghai last night. The match ended goalless. |
Park Won-jae scored on the hour to help 2006 winner Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea open its Asian Champions League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Chinese Super League winner Shandong Luneng in Jeonju yesterday.
In the other Group G match, Brazilian midfielder Rodrigo Pimpao scored either side of half time to lead Japan's Cerezo Osaka to a 2-1 win over Indonesian champion Arema FC in its ACL debut. Benny Wahyudi scored Arema's only goal in the 50th minute.
In a Group H encounter, Shanghai Shenhua was held goalless by Japan's Kashima Antlers in Shanghai.
Earlier, in the group opener, 10-man Sydney FC held on for a 0-0 draw against Korean FA Cup winner Suwon Bluewings after skipper Terry McFlynn was sent off in the 33rd.
McFlynn was red carded for stomping on the arm of Suwon striker Lee Sang-ho.
The best chance for either side fell to Suwon's Choi Sung-kuk, who blazed a shot over the cross bar after being artfully played in behind the defense in the eighth minute, while Oh Jan-Eun went close with an overhead scissors kick after half time.
Coach Yoon Sung-hyo said Suwon, the winner of the last two Asian Club Championships before the current ACL was launched, would be pleased to be leaving Australia with a draw.
"We showed less organizing skills because we trained for a short time only, but I'm satisfied with getting one point," he said.
On Tuesday, Hangzhou Greentown of China sprung a surprise by beating J-League champion Nagoya Grampus 2-0 in Group F on the opening night of the ACL.
Chinese Super League runner-up Tianjin Teda was also celebrating after it claimed a 1-0 Group E win away to South Korean side Jeju United in the opening match of the 2011 tournament.
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