Almir scored two minutes into injury time as defending champions Pohang Steelers, returned to winning ways on the second night of Match Day 2 of the AFC Champions League 2010 on Wednesday. The Steelers scored a 2-1 victory over Japan’s Sanfrecce Hiroshima for their first win in Group H.

Adelaide United made it two from two in Group H after a 2-0 victory away to China’s Shandong Luneng. Goals scored by Sergio van Dijk and Matthew Leckie.

Get all your Match Day 2 Asian Champions League Scores. Big upsets and some true leaders and contenders for the title for 2010 revealed.

Quick summary of the results from the remainder of the Matchday 1 games played overnight in Asia’s premier club competition – Asian Champions League.

Group C

Al-Ain 0–1 Pakhtakor Tashkent
Al Shabab 1-1 Sepahan

ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) vs POHANG STEELERS (KOR) (FT’) (1:0)
SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) vs SHANDONG LUNENG FC (CHN) (FT’) (0:1)
SUWON SAMSUNG BLUEWINGS (KOR) vs GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) (FT’) (0:0)
HENAN JIANYE (CHN) vs SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES (SIN) (FT) (0:0)
AL AIN (UAE) vs PAKHTAKOR (UZB) (FT) (0:1)
AL SHABAB (KSA) vs FOOLAD MOBAREKEH SEPAHAN (IRN) (FT) (1:1)
AL SADD (QAT) vs AL HILAL (KSA) (FT) (0:3)
MES KERMAN (IRN) vs AL AHLI (UAE) (FT) (4:2)

As the start of the 2010 ACL Champions League approaches, we will begin a preview of each of the groups and give some predictions on what the outcomes might look like 6 rounds from now. Over the next couple of days, we will review each group and the upcoming round giving our tips for the round.
Group A

AL AHLI (KSA) – have had 4 appearances in the ACL Champions League, reaching the final in 1986, quarter finalists in 2004/05 and participating in the group stage of the 2007/08 championship.
ESTEGHLAL …

Bunyodkor’s FYROM striker Stevica Ristik will miss the opening AFC Champions League campaign as Luiz Felipe Scolari has opted for the Brazilians.

Ristik played a key role in Pohang Steelers’ continental victory in 2009. He was also the scorer of the match-winner against Bunyodkor in the quarter-final.

The 27-year-old Stevo and Brazilian Edson Ramos have been left out by Scolari as he picked up Rivaldo, Denilson and Joao Victor to fill up the quota of three non-Asian players.

Melbourne Victory today revealed the new home and alternate playing shirts it will wear in the upcoming AFC Champions League 2010 and announced ticketing details for its three Group Stage home games.

Leading Australian parking operator Care Park will grace the front of the new navy and white shirts, which both feature Melbourne Victory’s distinctive V and will be used exclusively in Asia’s premier club competition.

The AFC Champions League 2010 play-offs start on January 30. The two-phase play-offs will pit Al Karamah (Syria) against Al Wahda (UAE) in the West semi-final 1 while Churchill Brothers (India) have a bye in the semi-final 2 to the next stage and meet the winners of the Al Karamah-Al Wahda match in the final.

Melbourne Victory has named a 25-man squad for its upcoming Asian Champions League 2010 campaign, promoting six players from its National Youth League side.

Aziz Behich and Luke Pilkington, who both recently made their Hyundai A-League debuts, have been elevated alongside fellow Melbourne Victory Youth players Diogo Ferreira, Petar Franjic, Stephen Hatzikostas and goalkeeper Sebastian Mattei, while Celeski could return to action if Melbourne Victory progresses to the Round of 16.

AFC on Monday sent a stern warning to clubs competing in the 2010 AFC Champions League on the issue of withdrawal from the competition.

UAE side Sharjah withdrew from last year’s tournament after four matches. And AFC is determined to prevent a repeat by imposing stiff penalties.

The 2010 AFC Champions League draw was held on Monday with the cards throwing up a host of intriguing and mouth-watering clashes in Asia’s premier club competition.

Defending champions Pohang Steelers, 2009 runners-up Al Ittihad and former champions Gamba Osaka, Jeonbuk Motors and Al Ain were all given difficult assignments for the 2010 competition, which promises to be the best and most exciting yet.

Pohang Steelers defeated Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia 2-1 in the Asian Champions League final in Tokyo tonight.

The win gives the Pohang their 3rd title and they now sit as the most successful club team in Asian football history.

The first half ended goalless. Just before the 60th minute Pohang took the lead against the run of play through Noh Byung-joon. A couple of minutes later Kim Hyung-il scored the second through a header.

Al Ittihad  (KSA) 1 V 2 Pohang Steelers (KOR) (Full Time)
Pohand Steelers from South Korea are 2009 AFC Asian Champions. Congratulations……
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Its been a busy 2009 for most of the players and teams fighting for the title of Asian Champions 2009. In addition to league and cup games, many players have also had Asian Cup and World Cup commitments.

Lets track the long road to the final for both teams.

29 October 2009 -  UMM-SALAL (QAT) 1 – 2 POHANG STEELERS (KOR) – (FT) (Aggregate 1 – 4 )
28 October 2009  – NAGOYA GRAMPUS (JPN) 1 – 2 AL ITTIHAD (KSA) – (FT) (Aggregate 3 – 8 )
Game over for Nagoya and Umm Salal.
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Nagoya Grampus will be without the services of Takeuchi Akira in the 2nd leg of the AFC Champions League semi-finals against Al Ittihad on October 28.
Akira was red carded in the sixth minute of their first leg match, forcing Nagoya to manage with 10 players then on.
The Japanese side lost 6-2 despite leading with goal from Kennedy and Nakamura either side of Ahmed Hadid’s goal for Ittihad.
But the hosts burst to life in the second half, inspired by Noor who scored a superb hat-trick while further strikes from Luciano Leguizamon …

Al Ittihad’s Mohammed Noor scored a hat-trick tp inspire a 6-2 victory over 10-man Nagoya Grampus on Wednesday to put one foot in the AFC Champions League final.

Nagoya were disadvantaged following the dismissal of defender Akira Takeuchi. They did however twice take the lead through goals by Josh Kennedy and Naoshi Nakamura.

21 October 2009 -  POHANG STEELERS (KOR) – UMM-SALAL (QAT) – 2 : 0 ( Final score)
22 October 2009 3.50am (AEST) AL ITTIHAD (KSA) – NAGOYA GRAMPUS (JPN) – 6 : 2 (Final score)

Pohang Steelers will aim to make the most of home advantage as the K-League giants host Qatari first-timers Umm Salal in Wednesday’s Asian Champions League semi-final first leg.

Pohang have an impressive record at the Steelyard Stadium, where they crushed former A-League winners Newcastle Jets 6-0 in the round of 16 and beat Uzbek champions Bunyodkor 4-1 in the quarter-final second leg to overturn a 3-1 loss in Tashkent.

FC SEOUL (KOR) 1 – 1 UMM-SALAL (QAT) – Full Time (First Leg 2:3) – Umm Salal Progress 4:3
NAGOYA GRAMPUS (JPN) 3 – 1 KAWASAKI FRONTALE (JPN) – Full Time (First Leg 1:2) – Nagoya Progress 4: 3
AL ITTIHAD (KSA) 4 – 0 PAKHTAKOR (UZB) Full Time (First Leg 1:1) – AL Ittihad Progress 5:1
POHANG STEELERS (KOR) 4 – 1 BUNYODKOR (UZB) – Full Time (First Leg 1:3) – Pohang Progress 5:4
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