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)
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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 …

A leading official is hoping that the arrival of former World Cup winning coach will help the country’s sagging fortunes at the international level.

Luiz Felipe Scolari, has signed an 18-month contract with Bunyodkor, Uzbekistan’s leading outfit and AFC Champions League quarter-finalists. Scholari will also manage the national youth football academy.

Bunyodkor’s executive director Tavakkal Ismailov said: “Scolari will boost the prospects of the club and also Uzbek football in general. His challenge will be to raise the standard of the club along with other Uzbekistan national teams in order to excel at the international level.”