China win, Japan blunder in AFC Champions League

China's clubs of Dalian Shide and Shanghai Shenhua scored their opening victories while Japan's teams conceded respective defeats to their South Korean peers in the first rounders of the AFC Champions League on Wednesday.

At the away turf in Da Nang, Vietnam, Dalian Shide, the 2003 semifinalists of the Chinese Super League, won their Group E match 2-0 after Zuo Jie opened the account five minutes from the break with a header and Ji Mingyi drove home the second three minutes into the second half.

Da Nang's Nuro Tualibudine had a goal disallowed for offside midway through the first half.

At home in Shanghai, Shenhua celebrated another convincing victory of 3-1 over Dong Tam Long'An of Vietnam as striker Xie Hui netted a hat-trick.

Xie put his side in control with a pair of early goals after eight and 11 minutes, and the 31-year-old duly completed his feat six minutes after the break.

However, the victory was soured by the dismissal of Li Weifeng in the 65th minute.

Brazilian striker Antonio gave Dong Tam some hope fo rescuing the tie when he pulled a goal back for the Vietnamese side.

The disqualification of Indonesia's Persebaya Surabaya and Thailand's Provincial Electricity Authority from this year's tournament means that Shenhua and Dong Tam are the only teams competing in Group G.

The two teams will meet in Vietnam on May 3 to decide the final outcome of the group.

But it was different story for J-League champions Gamba Osaka who looked headed for victory against Chonbuk Motors before supersub Kim Hyeung-bum pounced with two late strikes to give the Korean Cup winners a 3-2 victory.

Kim came off the bench in the 62nd minute with the home side trailing 2-1. The 22-year-old added to a 30th minute Milton Rodriguez penalty after a goal either side of half-time from former Motor Magno Alves and Yasuhito Endo.

Wednesday was a miserable night for Japan with Tokyo Verdy going down 2-0 to K-League champions Ulsan in Tokyo with second half goals from Choi Sung-kuk and Machado.

The top team from each group goes into the knock out stage and Ulsan are halfway there as their group only has two teams. Tobacco Monopoly of Thailand and Indonesia's Arema Malang were thrown out for failing to submit their paperwork on time.

Elsewhere, Uzbek giants Pakhtakor, the six-time league champions who have twice reached the Champions League semi-finals, were too good in Group A for Syrian minnows Al Ittihad, winning 2-0.

Iranian champions Foolad thumped Kuwaits Al Qadisiya 6-0.

Winner of the tournament will pocket 600,000 US dollars and a place in the FIFA Club World Cup in Tokyo in December, known as the Club World Championships.

The two-leg final is played in November.

Source: Xinhua