With the world cup come and gone, we can now turn our attention back to the Asian Champions League Quarter Finals. Months have passed since the round of 16 was played and teams have had a long break to regroup and prepare.

Adelaide United FC has appointed Dutchman Rini Coolen as the club’s new Head Coach for the next two years.

Following an extensive search and selection process, which included a host number of overseas candidates, Coolen was awarded the Reds’ top job and replaces the departed Aurelio Vidmar, who has taken up a position with the Qantas Socceroos’ coaching staff.

The draw for the AFC Champions League 2010 quarter-finals & semi-finals have been conducted.

With four Korea Republic teams in the last eight, there was bound to be an all-Korean quarter-final. And so it was with Seongnam Ilhwa slated to meet Suwon Bluewings in QF4.

The quarterfinals draw of the the Asian Champions League is due to be drawn on May 25.
“Mainly it is an open draw. But we have only one exception, which is the case of having two clubs from the same country. In this case, we apply the country protection rule,” AFC Competitions Director Tokuaki Suzuki told the-afc.com.
“On the other hand, this rule doesn’t apply if one country has three or more clubs in the quarter-finals.”
Korea Republic is represented in the last eight by defending champions Pohang Steelers, 2006 champions Jeonbuk Motors, …

Adelaide United V Jeonbuk FC (2 – 3) (FT)
Kashima Antlers V Pohang Steelers (0 – 1) (FT)
Zob Ahan V Mes Kerman (1 – 0) (FT)
Al Hilal V Bunyodkor Tashkent (3 – 0) (FT)

Suwon Bluewings V Beijing Guoan (2 – 0) (FT)
Seongnam Ilhwa V Gamba Osaka (3 – 0) (FT)
Al-Garrafa V Pakhtakor Tashkent (1 – 0) (FT)
Al Shabab V Esteghlal (3 – 2) (FT)

The Asian Champions League round of 16 will be played over two days 11/12 May 2010. Below is a preview of the teams and key players.

Zobahan (IRN) vs Mes Kerman (IRN)

Zob Ahan
Zob Ahan were the surprise team this year, topping what was a very difficult group which included fanciful Bunyodkor and the former champions from Saudi Arabia, Al Ittihad.

The AFC has sent its congratulations to the all clubs that have successfully qualified for the Round of 16 of the AFC Champions League. The playoffs will be played over two days, starting on 11 May and finishing on 12 May. The round of 16 is a one off game, played either home or away depending on your final standing after the 6 Group games (ie there is no return leg).

Final teams were: Al Gharafa (QAT), Pakhtakor (UZB), Al Shabab (KSA), Esteghlal (IRN), Seongnam Ilhwa (KOR), Gamba Osaka (JPN), Suwon Bluewings (KOR), Beijing Guoan (CHN), Zobahan (IRN), Mes Kerman (IRN), Al Hilal (KSA), Bunyodkor (UZB), Kashima Antlers (JPN), Pohang Steelers (KOR), Adelaide United (AUS) and Jeonbuk Motors (KOR).

BUNYODKOR (UZB) vs AL WAHDA (UAE) (4 – 1) (FT)
BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) vs KAWASAKI FRONTALE (JPN) (2 – 0) (FT)
SEONGNAM ILHWA FC (KOR) vs MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) (3 – 2) (FT)
PERSIPURA JAYAPURA (IDN) vs CHANGCHUN YATAI FC (CHN) (2 – 0) (FT)
KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) vs JEONBUK MOTORS (KOR) (2 – 1) (FT)

AL JAZIRA (UAE) vs ESTEGHLAL (IRN) (2 – 1) (FT)
AL AHLI (KSA) vs AL GHARAFA (QAT) (0 – 0) (FT)
ZOBAHAN (IRN) vs AL ITTIHAD (KSA) (1 – 0) (FT)

Match Day 5 of the AFC Champions League 2010 ended with 11 teams qualifying for the Round of 16.
With 11 taken, there are now only 5 places remaining for the one-off knockout matches on May 11 and 12. Match Day 6 is now less than 2 weeks away. Lets take a look at how the 5 remaining places might be filled.
Here is a list of teams who have already qualified.
Group A – Esteghlal (Iran), Al Gharafa (Qatar)
Group B – Zobahan (Iran)
Group D – Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Group E – Seongnam …

Kawasaki Frontale have battled back from the brink to give themselves a shot at qualification for the last 16 of the AFC Champions League. The J-League side visit Beijing Gouan on the final matchday only one point behind the Chinese Super League team and the winner of that tie will take their place alongside Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma in the knockouts.

Frontale were off to a flyer and were two goals to the good by the 20 minute mark. Hiroyuki Taniguchi opened the scoring after five minutes and Yusuke Tasaka doubled the lead 15 minutes after. That was the way it remained until the 79th minute when Renatinho added a third for a rejuvenated Kawasaki, who lost to Melbourne in their last outing.

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

With all games in Match Day 4 of the AFC Champions League completed, two more teams have confirming their places in the Round of 16.

Seongnam Ilhwa made it four in a row in Group E to go through while Suwon Bluewings made sure of their advance in Group G.

Group A

Esteghlal, of Iran, drew 1-1 away to Qatar’s Al Gharafa and Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli scored a 2-0 away win over Al Jazira.

Younis Mahmoud gave Gharafa a 1-0 lead before the interval but Mehdi Salehi equalised for the visitors on 58 minutes.

FT – MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) vs KAWASAKI FRONTALE (JPN) (1 -0)
FT – GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) vs SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES (SIN) (3 – 0)
FT – SUWON SAMSUNG BLUEWINGS (KOR) vs HENAN JIANYE (CHN) (2 – 0)
FT – BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) vs SEONGNAM ILHWA FC (KOR) (0 – 1)
FT – FOOLAD MOBAREKEH SEPAHAN (IRN) vs PAKHTAKOR (UZB) (2 – 0)
FT – AL GHARAFA (QAT) vs ESTEGHLAL (IRN) (1 – 1)
FT – AL JAZIRA (UAE) vs AL AHLI (KSA) (0 – 2)
Ft – AL SHABAB (KSA) vs AL AIN (UAE) (3 – 2)

You didn’t have to wait long for Match Day 4. AFC Champions League is back after just one week this time round and there is plenty to play for once again as we have now just passed the half way mark of the Group stage. There are several teams that are ready to qualify for the knockout round. These include: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia, Group D), Al Sadd (Qatar, Group D), Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma (Korea Republic, Group E), Kashima Antlers (Japan, Group F), Jeonbuk Motors (Korea Republic, Group F), Suwon …

Group A
Esteghlal 3-0 Al Gharafa
Al Ahli 5-1 Al-Jazira
Al Gharafa couldn’t compete with Esteghlal today and went down 3-0 in the Azadi Stadium today. Esteghlal striker Farhad Majidi bagged himself two goals today. Majidi put the hosts ahead after a quarter of an hour before doubling their lead ten minutes after the break. Defender Pejman Montazeri then sealed the victory ten minutes from time.
In Group A’s other fixture, Al-Ahli, who so far have leaked five goals in their first two matches, turned things around against Al Jazira scoring 5 goals and …

24/3/2010 Melbourne Time
Group H
FT – ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) vs SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) (3 – 2)
FT – POHANG STEELERS (KOR) vs SHANDONG LUNENG FC (CHN) (1 – 0)
Group F
FT – CHANGCHUN YATAI FC (CHN) vs JEONBUK MOTORS (KOR) (1 – 2)
FT – KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) vs PERSIPURA JAYAPURA (IDN) (5 – 0)
Group B
FT – AL WAHDA (UAE) vs AL ITTIHAD (KSA) (0 – 2)
FT – ZOBAHAN (IRN) vs BUNYODKOR (UZB) (3 – 0)
Group D
FT – AL SADD (QAT) vs MES KERMAN (IRN) (4 – 1)
FT – AL HILAL (KSA) vs AL …

23/3/2010
Group E
FT – SEONGNAM ILHWA FC (KOR) vs BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) (3 – 1)
FT – KAWASAKI FRONTALE (JPN) vs MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) (4 – 0)
Group G
FT – SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES (SIN) vs GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) (2 – 4)
FT – HENAN JIANYE (CHN) vs SUWON SAMSUNG BLUEWINGS (KOR) ( 0 – 2)
Group C
FT – PAKHTAKOR (UZB) vs SEPAHAN (IRN) (2 – 1)
FT – AL AIN (UAE) vs AL SHABAB (KSA) (2 – 1)
Group A
FT – ESTEGHLAL (IRN) vs AL GHARAFA (QAT) (3 -0)
FT – AL AHLI (KSA) vs AL JAZIRA …

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