JUBILANT: Lekhwiya’s Issiar Dia Luiz Martin Carlos Junior (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during their AFC Champions League football match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq here yesterday. (AFP)
By Sports Reporter/Doha
Qatari sides El Jaish and Lekhwiya both registered wins in the AFC Champions League encounters yesterday.
El Jaish rallied from a goal deficit to beat hosts Teraktor Sazi Tabriz of Iran 4-2, while Lekhwiya handed Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq 2-0 drubbing here yesterday.
The Iranian side was put into the lead by Geilson De Carvalho as early as in the second minute. El Jaish, however, remained undeterred and got the equaliser in the 24th minute through Go Seul-Ki.
After the change of ends, Al Jaish went on to widen the lead to 2-1, thanks to a penalty. Dokali Alsed made no mistake from the spot. Abdulqader Elias Bakoor then struck in the 53rd minute to make it 3-1. Iranian side then regrouped themselves to reduce the margin to 3-2 with a strike again from De Carvalho. Al Jaish then went on to seal the victory after they got another penalty in the 71st minute. Once again Bakoor completed the formality from the spot.
For Lekhwiya, Issiar Dia Luiz Martin Carlos Junior scored the opening goal in the 14th minutes. The tally was later completed later in the 66th minute by Khaled Muftah.
Elsewhere: Daisuke Nasu scored with a second-half volley to give Urawa Reds a 1-0 win over Muangthong United at Thunderdome Stadium yesterday but it was not enough to secure the 2007 AFC Champions League winners a place in the Round of 16.
A scoreless draw between Guangzhou Evergrande and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors meant Urawa were eliminated due to an inferior head-to-head record against the Korean side, leaving Mihailo Petrovic and his team ruing their performances against the 2006 winners when they lost points on both occasions from a winning position.
Urawa needed to win while hoping Jeonbuk would lose in Guangzhou and the J.League side kept their side of the bargain with a professional performance in Thailand, but it was not enough to keep their hopes of securing a second continental title alive.
Followed to Thailand by a vociferous band of fans, Urawa took time to find their rhythm but by the latter stages of the first half the Japanese club were on top, with Marcio Richardes almost opening the scoring nine minutes before the break, only for his side-foot volley to miss the target.
With the first half in stoppage time, the former champions did have the ball in the net when Shinzo Koroki pushed his effort over the line, only for the attempt to be ruled out for offside.
Urawa, though, did not have to wait until long after the interval before finally taking the lead.
Muangthong’s defence was caught out in the 47th minute after only partially clearing a Marcion Richardes corner and, as the ball went back out to the Brazilian, he sent in a swinging cross that Nasu met with the flying volley after staying in the penalty area following the initial set play.
Urawa deserved the lead but, despite controlling what remained of the game, Petrovic’s side was unable to find a way past Weera Koedpudsa again.
And in the end the win counted for little as both teams ended the night eliminated from the competition.
1. ACTION PACKED: Dame Traore (R) of Qatar’s Lekhwiya challenges for the ball with Yousef al-Salem of Saudi Arabia’s Al Ettifaq during their AFC Champions League. (Reuters)
