SHANGHAI: Brazil forward Hulk scored a trademark screamer as Andre Villas-Boas’s Shanghai SIPG beat FC Seoul 4-2 to take their place in the AFC Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.
In a repeat of his spectacular winner against the same opposition in February, Hulk unleashed a crunching left-foot shot which flew in for SIPG’s opener on 25 minutes.
Zhang Wei and Wu Lei were also on target before Oscar, Asia’s record signing, added the fourth to keep FC Seoul at bay after their strikes through Maurinho and Park Chu-Young.
It put SIPG through alongside Group F rivals Urawa Red Diamonds, while Thailand’s Muangthong United beat Brisbane Roar 3-0 to reach the knockouts for the first time.
Xisco nodded Muangthong’s opener on 37 minutes, a goal that ended the involvement of Brisbane goalkeeper Jamie Young who suffered a deep gash to his forearm as he collided with the post.
Chanathip “Messi Jay” Songkrasin beat two defenders and rounded the replacement ‘keeper, Tomislav Bilic, on 83 minutes before Teerasil Dangda added a third just before time.
It meant the end of the road for Brisbane, who fielded an under-strength side as they build up to Sunday’s A-League semifinal against Melbourne Victory.
Earlier Urawa also eliminated Australian opposition as the J-League leaders swamped 2014 champions Western Sydney Wanderers 6-1.
Takahiro Sekine opened the scoring before Yoshiaki Komai set up Zlatan Ljubijankic and then Tadanari Lee for Urawa’s second and third before half-time.
The Wanderers pulled one back through Jumpei Kusukami but Rafael Silva grabbed two goals in eight minutes and then teed up Shinzo Koroki to complete the rout.
In Group E, Kashima Antlers ousted Ulsan Hyundai with a comprehensive 4-0 win as they reached the last 16 for the first time since 2011.
Ulsan made it to half-time goalless against Kashima but some calamitous defending saw them slip 3-0 down in the space of 15 second-half minutes.
Goalkeeper Kim Yong-Dae palmed a shot into the path of Mu Kanazaki for the first goal on 52 minutes, before a loose ball in defense was punished by Pedro Junior.
And Kim was guilty of a howler when he sliced a clearance to the feet of Kanazaki, who made no mistake from close range. Leo Silva scored the fourth goal on 90 minutes with a fine strike from distance.
Evergrande under fire over ‘British dogs’ banner
Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande are facing potential disciplinary action after their fans unfurled an anti-independence banner slamming “British dogs” during a game in Hong Kong.
The large banner, which said “Annihilate British dogs, destroy HK independence poison” in Chinese, was held up during Evergrande’s 6-0 AFC Champions League win over Hong Kong’s Eastern late on Tuesday.
The Asian Football Confederation said on Wednesday that it was waiting for the match commissioner’s report before making a “full assessment of the facts.”
Article 58 of the AFC’s ethics code says clubs will be forced to play at least two games behind closed doors over any offensive “words or actions” by their fans concerning political opinions or national origin.
Individual spectators will be banned from stadiums for a minimum of two years for the offense, the code says.
Hong Kong’s football association told AFP that it was looking into the banner, pictures of which were widely shared on social media.
Former British colony Hong Kong became a semi-autonomous Chinese territory 20 years ago, but independence feelings have been running high following mass protests against Beijing.
Tuesday’s game was played in a hostile atmosphere in Mongkok, the scene of rioting last year which involved some pro-independence activists.
Fans from both sides hurled obscenities and showed each other the middle finger, with the Evergrande fans heard chanting “Traitor!“
One Eastern supporter displayed Hong Kong’s colonial-era flag, which features Britain’s Union Jack, while others booed and swore at the Chinese team.
Some anti-China activists have begun to fly the old flag in protest at what is seen as Beijing’s increased interference in the city.
But security was tight and the rival supporters were kept far apart as they were ushered in and out of the stadium through separate entrances.
Evergrande, the two-time Asian champions and winners of the last six Chinese Super League titles, were in trouble with the AFC only last year.
The then defending champions were fined and forced to play their first Champions League game of the season behind closed doors for a string of offenses, including wearing the wrong sponsor’s name on their shirts during the 2015 final.
In a repeat of his spectacular winner against the same opposition in February, Hulk unleashed a crunching left-foot shot which flew in for SIPG’s opener on 25 minutes.
Zhang Wei and Wu Lei were also on target before Oscar, Asia’s record signing, added the fourth to keep FC Seoul at bay after their strikes through Maurinho and Park Chu-Young.
It put SIPG through alongside Group F rivals Urawa Red Diamonds, while Thailand’s Muangthong United beat Brisbane Roar 3-0 to reach the knockouts for the first time.
Xisco nodded Muangthong’s opener on 37 minutes, a goal that ended the involvement of Brisbane goalkeeper Jamie Young who suffered a deep gash to his forearm as he collided with the post.
Chanathip “Messi Jay” Songkrasin beat two defenders and rounded the replacement ‘keeper, Tomislav Bilic, on 83 minutes before Teerasil Dangda added a third just before time.
It meant the end of the road for Brisbane, who fielded an under-strength side as they build up to Sunday’s A-League semifinal against Melbourne Victory.
Earlier Urawa also eliminated Australian opposition as the J-League leaders swamped 2014 champions Western Sydney Wanderers 6-1.
Takahiro Sekine opened the scoring before Yoshiaki Komai set up Zlatan Ljubijankic and then Tadanari Lee for Urawa’s second and third before half-time.
The Wanderers pulled one back through Jumpei Kusukami but Rafael Silva grabbed two goals in eight minutes and then teed up Shinzo Koroki to complete the rout.
In Group E, Kashima Antlers ousted Ulsan Hyundai with a comprehensive 4-0 win as they reached the last 16 for the first time since 2011.
Ulsan made it to half-time goalless against Kashima but some calamitous defending saw them slip 3-0 down in the space of 15 second-half minutes.
Goalkeeper Kim Yong-Dae palmed a shot into the path of Mu Kanazaki for the first goal on 52 minutes, before a loose ball in defense was punished by Pedro Junior.
And Kim was guilty of a howler when he sliced a clearance to the feet of Kanazaki, who made no mistake from close range. Leo Silva scored the fourth goal on 90 minutes with a fine strike from distance.
Evergrande under fire over ‘British dogs’ banner
Chinese giants Guangzhou Evergrande are facing potential disciplinary action after their fans unfurled an anti-independence banner slamming “British dogs” during a game in Hong Kong.
The large banner, which said “Annihilate British dogs, destroy HK independence poison” in Chinese, was held up during Evergrande’s 6-0 AFC Champions League win over Hong Kong’s Eastern late on Tuesday.
The Asian Football Confederation said on Wednesday that it was waiting for the match commissioner’s report before making a “full assessment of the facts.”
Article 58 of the AFC’s ethics code says clubs will be forced to play at least two games behind closed doors over any offensive “words or actions” by their fans concerning political opinions or national origin.
Individual spectators will be banned from stadiums for a minimum of two years for the offense, the code says.
Hong Kong’s football association told AFP that it was looking into the banner, pictures of which were widely shared on social media.
Former British colony Hong Kong became a semi-autonomous Chinese territory 20 years ago, but independence feelings have been running high following mass protests against Beijing.
Tuesday’s game was played in a hostile atmosphere in Mongkok, the scene of rioting last year which involved some pro-independence activists.
Fans from both sides hurled obscenities and showed each other the middle finger, with the Evergrande fans heard chanting “Traitor!“
One Eastern supporter displayed Hong Kong’s colonial-era flag, which features Britain’s Union Jack, while others booed and swore at the Chinese team.
Some anti-China activists have begun to fly the old flag in protest at what is seen as Beijing’s increased interference in the city.
But security was tight and the rival supporters were kept far apart as they were ushered in and out of the stadium through separate entrances.
Evergrande, the two-time Asian champions and winners of the last six Chinese Super League titles, were in trouble with the AFC only last year.
The then defending champions were fined and forced to play their first Champions League game of the season behind closed doors for a string of offenses, including wearing the wrong sponsor’s name on their shirts during the 2015 final.
