Guangdong reels as Seongnam triumphs with last-gasp penalty
Print Edition
SEONGNAM FC skipper Kim Do-heon held his nerve to score from the penalty spot in the sixth minute of injury time as the South Korean side beat Chinese champion Guangzhou Evergrande 2-1 in the first leg of their AFC Champions League last 16 clash yesterday.
Fellow K League side FC Seoul endured a miserable night in the Korean capital, however, going down 1-3 to Japan’s Gamba Osaka.
Seongnam is the only one of South Korea’s four teams in Asia’s elite club competition to come away with a home win after Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors drew 1-1 with Chinese Super League’s Beijing Guo’an and Suwon Samsung Bluewings went down 2-3 to another Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol on Tuesday.
Seongnam went ahead in the 23rd minute at Tancheon Sports Complex after Kim drifted into the box and fed Jorginho, who fired home first time.
There seemed little danger when Guangzhou’s Huang Bowen picked the ball up 30 yards from goal but the midfielder cracked home a stunning strike to bring his side level just before the break. He ran all the way to the touchline to celebrate with coach Fabio Cannavaro.
Guangzhou was reduced to 10 men in the 65th minute when Li Xuepeng was dealt a straight red for raking his studs down the arm of Ricardo as the two contested a high ball.
Just when it seemed the Chinese side, the winner of the prestigious trophy in 2013, would hold on for the draw, Seongnam was awarded a penalty when Ricardo went down in the box, though it was difficult to see where the contact occurred.
While several of his teammates could not bear to watch, captain Kim shrugged off the pressure to fire home the spot kick and seal the win.
It sparked celebrations for Seongnam but the Koreans still have much work to do away next week, especially if Guangzhou welcomes back the injured Brazilian trio of Elkeson, Alan and Rene Junior.
Seoul had not conceded in its previous six home games in the competition, but Gamba ended that defensive record with a superb counter-attacking display at Seoul World Cup Stadium.
After a cagey first half in Seoul the home side looked to push the pace in the second and get captain Cha Du-ri more involved in the game, but with the marauding right back pushing forward Gamba found space to exploit.
Neat interplay down the left saw Hiroki Fujiharu reach the byline and cut the ball back for Takashi Usami, who crashed in a volley to give Gamba the lead in the 62nd minute.
The Japanese side went 2-0 up 11 minutes later after Fujiharu again found space down the left and his deep cross was met first time by Koki Yonekura.
Usami hammered the nail into Seoul’s coffin four minutes from time by holding off two defenders to score Gamba’s third, before Yun Ju-tae grabbed a consolation goal in injury time for the dispirited Koreans, who will need to score at least three goals next week in Japan to have any chance of progressing.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
