Adelaide United FC will host Korean club Jeonbuk Motors in the Round of 16 at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday, May 12 after the final standings of Group F were decided in the closing Match Day of the AFC Champions League 2010 Group Stage.

Jeonbuk Motors will be the Reds’ opponents in the one-off sudden death encounter after they finished runners-up of Group F following a 2-1 defeat to Japan’s Kashima Antlers in Kashima.

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).

Gamba Osaka manager Akira Nishino has regretted delaying second-half substitutions as the defending champions crashed out of the AFC Champions League after a stunning 3-2 loss to rivals Kawasaki Frontale.
Brazil’s Leandro scored twice to give Gamba a 2 – 1 lead at half time. But Kawasaki, who had equalized once through Kengo Nakamura in the 33rd minute, leveled the score the score on the 76th minute with a goal from Renatinho.
Masaru Kurotsu then blasted in the winner five minutes from time to send Kawasaki through to their second quarter-final appearance …

FC Seoul coach Senol Gunes is confident his side a real challenge for the final of the AFC Champions League after they beat Kashima Antlers by penalties to move into the quarter-finals.
The Koreans twice came from behind to force extra time and, with neither side able to score, the game went to penalties where Seoul came out on top 5-4 with Park Yong-ho scoring the decisive penalty.
The Kashima Stadium had been a good omen for the hosts in prior games. Kashima hadn’t conceeded a goal at home.
But Seoul brushed aside …

Choi Hyo-jin claimed a hat-trick as a rampant Pohang Steelers charged into the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League with a 6-0 demolition of Newcastle Jets at Pohang Steelyard on Wednesday.

The midfielder combined with Denilson – who opened the scoring from the spot – to torment the A-League side throughout the entire 90 minutes of the last 16 encounter as Sergio Farias’ side produced a tremendous display of attacking football and serve notice to their continental rivals they are a force to be reckoned with in this season’s competition

The hosts broke the deadlock with just nine minutes gone. Denilson wriggled free between Adam D’Apuzzo and Jason Hoffman down the right side with a neat turn before going down in the box after the latter pulled his shirt.

Goals in both halfs by Yoshizumi Ogawa and Keiji Tamada saw Nagoya Grampus down Korean champions Suwon Bluewings 2-1 at the Mizuho Athletic Stadium.
The visitors enjoyed the majority of possession but Ogawa put the Nogoya ahead against the run of play in the 22nd minute after latching onto a through ball by Davi.
Japan international Tamada extended the lead in the 66th minute but Edu put Suwon back into the contest with a classy finish three minutes later.
Nagoya held on and the frustrated visitors finished with 10 men when Yang Sang-min …

Nagoya Grampus Eight (JPN) 2 – 1 Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR)
Gamba Osaka (JPN) 2 – 3 Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)
Kashima Antlers (JPN) 5 – 4(pen) FC Seoul (KOR)
Pohang Steelers (KOR) 6 – 0 Newcastle United Jets (AUS)
//

Umm Salal (Qatar), Bunyodkor, Pakhtakor (Uzbekistan) and Al Ittihad (Saudi Arabia) have all already booked their places in the Asian Champions League quarter-finals. The remaining 4 games are one-off ties with the winner to go directly to the quarter-finals. Games will go to extra time or penalties if the scores remain tied.
The remaining 8 teams include four teams from Japan, three from Korea and one from Australia. Nagoya Grampus (Japan) take on Suwon Samsung Bluewings (Korea) at the Mizuho Athletic Stadium in Nagoya. The game begins at 19:00 local …

Gary van Egmond, coach of  Newcastle Jets has indicated that his side will employ an attacking style when they play their 2nd round AFC Champions League match against Korean K-League side Pohang Steelers on Wednesday night.
The Jets will be without 2 key players through injury in Ljubo Milicevic and Nikolai Topor- Stanley.
“If you look at it, it’s an attack-minded squad which has some versatility, which we’ll definitely utilize,” Van Egmond said.
“We need to ensure that we are still looking to play, we’re still looking at keeping decent possession and still …

Baba Malick, Umm Salal’s goakeeping hero, had not expected a penalty shootout against Saudi giants Al Hilal.

He recounted how he held his nerve to stop 2 penalties as the Qatari minnows beat Hilal 4-3 to advance to the quarter-finals.

Persepolis  are reported to be disappointed with the refereeing during their game with Bunyodkor after Brazil’s Rivaldo was gifted a penalty that ultimately decided the game. The Iranian team believed that Rivaldo had dived to win the penalty that sent his team  to the quarter-final of the Asian Champions League.
South Korean referee Kim Dong-jin had no hesitation to pointing to the spot despite howls of derision from 80,000 home fans in the Azadi Stadium. Rivaldo took a clean penalty which won the game for them.
Persepolis coach Nelo Vingada, who has …

The Round if 16 has officially started.

Wins for both Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor and Pakhtakor, mean they both now progress into the quarter-finals. Saudi outfit Al Ittihad also managed to get through.

Bunyodkor beat Persepolis 1-0, goal coming from Rivaldo.

Pakhtakor were trailing 1 – 0, but managed to come from behind and win 2 – 1 over Saudi Arabia’s Ettifaq.

Defending champions Gamba Osaka will play Kawasaki Frontale in a potentially explosive last 16 clash of the AFC Champions League.
Saudi giants and two-time ACL champions Al Ittihad play fellow countrymen Al Shabab.
Iran’s Persepolis, the Group B winners, are at home to Group D runners-up Bunyodkor, the Uzbek champions.
South Korea’s Pohang Steelers take on Newcastle Jets.
Among the most intriguing matches is that of Group F winners Gamba and Kawasaki, the runners-up of Group H.
FC Seoul, whose victory enabled them to finish second in Group F, play Japan’s Group G winners, Kashima …