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The group stages of the latest edition of Asia’s premier club football tournament kicked off in various cities across the continent on Tuesday. The AFC Champions League (ACL), which brings together top clubs from the best ten Asian leagues, has increased in prestige ever since it was revamped in 2003. Today, 32 teams compete in a round-robin/knockout format similar to the original European version. Until the quarterfinals, West and East Asian clubs are kept apart. The winner represents Asia at the FIFA Club World Cup every December. Some of the notable players playing in this year’s ACL include Djibril Cisse, Nilmar, Asamoah Gyan and Lucas Barrios. This year, as in most other years, Saudi club Al-Hilal start as one of the favourites. On the East Asian front, Japan’s Urawa Reds and South Korea’s Pohang Steelers lead the pack.
Here is a roundup of Matchday 1 of ACL 2013:
Group A
Debutants Tractor Sazi of Iran pulled off a major surprise with a convincing 3-1 win at home to regulars Al-Jazira of UAE. The match was attended by a capacity crowd of around 70,000. Mehdi Seyed-Salehi wrote his name onto the history books with Tractor’s first-ever goal in the ACL.
Qatar’s Al-Jaish is another club making its debut this time and they had a night to forget at the King Fahd International Stadium as their Saudi hosts Al-Shabab easily won 2-0. An own goal by Al-Jaish’s Anderson was compounded by a great Omar Al-Ghamdi goal six minutes later.
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Group B
Uzbek club Pakhtakor are making their 11th ACL appearance this year and dispatched Saudi club Al-Ettifaq by a solitary goal at Tashkent. Al-Ettifaq fans will definitely rue Yahya al-Shehri’s penalty miss in the 69th minute.
In the other Group B match, Qatari league champions Lekhwiya fell behind at home to a goal by Al-Shabab Al-Arabi’s Edgar Silva in the 10th minute. However, they soon turned the tables with two goals of their own, courtesy Sebastian Soria and new signing Youssef Msakni.
Group C
Albanian striker Xhevahir Sukaj’s double helped Iran Pro-League side Sepahan brush aside UAE’s Al Nasr 3-0 in Isfahan. Omid Ibrahimi got the third goal for the 2007 runners-up.
In Buraidah, 2012 runners-up Al-Ahli got their ACL campaign underway with a 2-0 win over Qatar’s Al-Gharafa. Local teenager Mustafa Bassas sent the stadium into frenzy with his well-taken goal in the 35th minute and Victor Simoes rounded off proceedings with another goal in injury time.
Group D
In the clash of the titans, Saudi giants Al-Hilal were outclassed 3-1 by a determined Al-Ain. The visitors took the lead through Abdullah al Zori, only to see an Omar Abdulrahman-inspired comeback propel Al-Ain to victory. The 20 year-old UAE star scored his team’s first goal and assisted the second.
Group D’s other match saw Qatar’s Al-Rayyan share the spoils with Iran’s Esteghlal after a thrilling 3-3 outcome in Doha. Former English Premier League player J’lloyd Samuel opened the scoring for Estehglal in the 25th minute but Rayyan levelled through a Tabata penalty. Esteghlal took the lead twice after that, but Rayyan got back on terms on both occasions.
Group E
Over in the East Asian half, Japanese club Vegalta Sendai drew their first-ever ACL match 1-1 with Thai representatives Buriram United. The game was held at the Yurtec Stadium Sendai, which was damaged after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. North Korean captain Ryang Yong-Gi gave Vegalta the lead via a penalty. Ex-La Liga defender and Buriram captain Osmar replied in the 76th minute.
FC Seoul gave their ACL campaign a thumping start by thrashing China’s Jiangsu Sainty 5-1 at home. Dejan Damjanovic and Yun Il-Lok scored doubles while Molina scored the fifth for the South Korean champions. Hamdi Salihi got the consolation goal for Jiangsu.
Group F
Big-spending Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande delivered a heavy blow to 2008 ACL champions Urawa Reds with a 3-0 blanking at the Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou. Goals from Lucas Barrios and Muriqui put Evergrande in a commanding position before an own goal by Keita Suzuki put matters beyond doubt.
Thai club Muangthong United had to fight hard to salvage a 2-2 home draw with 2006 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. A 78th minute goal by Belgian Kevin Oris seemed to have given the match to Jeonbuk but a last-minute strike by Kim Yoo-Jin helped Muangthong get a creditable draw.
Group G
Sanfrecce Hiroshima was one of only three clubs to lose at home on Matchday 1 after going down 0-2 to Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor, with goals coming from Oleksandr Pyschur and Fozil Musaev.
Korean club Pohang Steelers has won three Asian continental titles but their bid for a fourth did not begin on a happy note. They drew 0-0 with China’s Beijing Gouan at the Steelyard Stadium in Pohang.
Group H
Central Coast Mariners, Australia’s sole representative, were left cursing their luck after an 87th minute penalty miss denied them three precious points at home against Korean side Suwon Samsung Bluewings. Suwon’s keeper Jung Sung-ryong guessed right to save Nick Montgomery’s spot kick, helping his team to a 0-0 draw.
Cleo scored the lone goal to give Japan’s Kashiwa Reysol victory against Chinese side Guizou Renhe. The on-loan Brazilian striker headed in at the stroke of half-time at the Guiyang Olympic Centre Stadium.
