Urawa, Seongnam score crucial AFC Champions League advantage

AFP - 19 September 2007 23:00

Kawasaki Frontale´s Hiroki Ito(L) jumps above Mahmoud Karim of Sepahan during their AFC Champions League quarter-final football match in Esfahan, Iran. The two teams drew 0-0.

TOKYO (AFP) - Japan's Urawa Reds and South Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma scored vital victories in their quarter-final first leg ties Wednesday, as they edged closer to the AFC Champions League trophy.

In Saitama, Makoto Hasebe and Tatsuya Tanaka scored for Urawa in a 2-1 win over defending champion Jeonbuk Motors, although the South Koreans scrambled a crucial 90th minute goal to hand them a lifeline in the return leg next week.

Korea had better luck on home turf with K-League champions Seongnam scoring a hard-earned come-from-behind 2-1 win over Syrian side Al Karama.

In later games, Sepahan of Iran drew 0-0 at home to Japan's Kawasaki Frontale, while it was goalless also in Abu Dhabi between Al Wahda of the United Arab Emirates and Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia

Two goals in the space of 90 second-half seconds did the damage for Seongnam, leaving the tie delicately balanced.

Senghor Koupouleni grabbed a precious away goal early in the first half for last year's runners-up Al Karama, but second half strikes by substitute Kim Min-ho and Son Dae-ho gave Seongnam victory and a slender advantage to defend.

Midfielder Hasebe opened the account for Urawa in the third minute with striker Tatsuya Tanaka making it 2-0 for the home side in the 58th, but Choi Jin-Cheul pulled one back for Jeonbuk just before stoppage time.

Jeonbuk should have scored in the 17th minute when Kim Hyoun-Bum's left-footer went wide. He squandered another chance in the 37th minute when his 25-metre shot from the left of the area bounced off the bar.

It could cost them dearly, with Urawa's coach Holger Osieck insisting his team would not lose the return leg.

"Although we yielded a goal just before time ran out, we managed to win the important match," he said.

"I am convinced that we will also score goals away in South Korea.

"I believe the opponents will play aggressively as they need to win. But we will take advantage of their desperation."

With heavy rain battering Korea for 36 hours, the Seongnam-Al Karama game started slowly but it was the visitors who adapted more quickly to the slick field.

After eight minutes, they had the first attempts on goal as Hassan Abbas let fly from 25 yards with a shot that Seongnam keeper Kim Yong-dae acrobatically tipped over.

A minute later the Syrians were in front. Zyad Chaabo's snapshot from just inside the area cannoned off the crossbar and Senegalese striker Koupouleni had the simple job of heading the rebound into an empty net.

The seven-time K-League champions were struggling to keep possession but they came out firing in the second half and finally drew level after 73 minutes.

Mota broke free on the left and his ball across the face of the goal was cleared only as far as Kim Min-ho, who made no mistake from six yards.

A minute later Seongnam stunned Karama when Son arrived late at the far post to head home a left-sided corner from fellow international midfielder Kim Do-heon.

Japan's Kawasaki Frontale showed no fear of Sepahan in Esfahan and it could have been an even better result for them.

With the game drawing to a close, they were denied a precious away goal to take back to Japan when goalkeeper Abbas Mohammadi made an excellent save to prevent Kazuhiro Marakami from scoring.

Despite the lack of goals in Abu Dhabi, the game saw plenty of action from both sides as Al Hilal were denied by the woodwork while Al Wahda had the ball in the net late on only for the effort to be disallowed for offside.

The result leaves the tie wide open for the return game in Riyadh next Wednesday. The second legs are played on September 26.