Hyundai Motors down Da Nang 1-0 in AFC Champions League

South Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scraped past Vietnam's Da Nang 1-0 in a Group E match of the AFC Champions League on Wednesday.

Despite traveling to Vietnam looking for goals, Choi Kang-hee's team could only muster a solitary strike, which came via Brazilian striker Ze Carlo 21 minutes into the game.

Da Nang threw up the defensive shutters as it sought to learn the lessons from its previous encounters in the AFC Champions League, which had seen it lose by a record-equalling 15-0 score line to J.League champion Gamba Osaka earlier in the tournament.

Coach Tran Vu went for an ultra-defensive line-up that saw Tran Van Hung isolated in attack as Da Nang packed the midfield, with Ma Tri -- normally a central defender -- moved into the defensive midfield position to cut off the supply route to Jeonbuk forwards Botti and Ze Carlo.

And while Ze Carlo was the man who earned the Motors the three points, it was Botti who caused Da Nang the most problems, the Brazilian firing off his first effort just five minutes into the game.

A lapse in concentration seven minutes later almost saw Da Nang register their first goal of the competition when a mix-up between Kim In-ho and goalkeeper Lee Kwang-suk presented Van Hung with the chance to score, but the 26-year-old failed to take the opportunity.

Da Nang was to rue that miss in the 21st minute when Jeonbuk claimed the only goal of the game as Ze Carlo rose highest to meet Kim Young-sin's corner and head past goalkeeper Tran Duc Cuong.

Coach Tran Vu brought on veteran striker Le Huynh Duc and midfielder Truong Quang Tran at halftime, but the home side was still unable to find the net.

Source: Xinhua