Japan’s Kashima Antlers stormed back to their winning ways in the AFC Champions League on Wednesday, beating 10-man Shanghai Shenhua as fellow J-Leaguers Kawasaki Frontale earned a point in South Korea.
Kashima midfielder Takuya Nozawa got the crucial opening goal just before the break when he latched on to a pinpoint pass from Yuya Osako and fired beyond goalkeeper Zhang Chen.
Shanghai pressed hard for the equalizer, but when Du Wei, captain of the Chinese national team, was sent off for a second yellow card in the 68th minute their heads dropped and Osako sealed the win with 11 minutes to go.
Kawasaki Frontale, who won their opening game, grabbed a point against South Korean FA Cup winners Pohang Steelers in a game featuring a heavy South American flavor, with five Brazilians in action.
Choi Hyo-jin scored the opener for the home team in the 12th minute, before Shuhei Terada equalized midway through the half.
The other teams in their group, China’s Tianjin Teda and Australian outfit Central Coast Mariners, fought out an exciting 2-2 draw.
Tianjin went to the break 1-0 ahead after Brazil’s Eber struck in the 36th minute. The Mariners got themselves back in the game three minutes after the restart through Adrian Caceres, before taking the lead four minutes later when Matt Simon pounced against the run of play.
But their lead was short-lived, with We Weian drawing Tianjin level just minutes later.
Singapore Armed Forces lost their second game in a row, crashing 2-0 to South Korea’s Suwon, who are the only team in their group to have maximum points. A second-half brace from Edu did the damage
In West Asia zone matches, Iran’s Esteghlal snatched their first point of the tournament in a 1-1 draw with Al Jazira of the United Arab Emirates. Later on Wednesday, Saudi Arabian giants Al Ittihad thrashed Umm-Salal 3-1 in Qatar thanks to goals from Hamad Al Montashari, Morais Renato Caja and Hicham Aboucherouane. Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor fell 2-0 at Al Shabab Al Arabi in Dubai and another Saudi side, Ettifaq, beat Iran’s Foolad Sepahan 2-1.
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