Tags
Wu Lei’s dramatic injury-time winner put Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Shanghai SIPG into the AFC Champions League quarter-finals against a dumbfounded FC Tokyo yesterday.
The Japanese visitors were seconds away from Asia’s last eight until Wu struck in the 91st minute for a 1-0 win, sparking chaotic celebrations among the SIPG players and fans.
SIPG’s win on the away goals rule, after the last-16 tie’s first leg finished 2-1, means Eriksson’s side have reached the quarter-finals at their first attempt after coming through qualifying.
Although SIPG are debutants, the well-travelled former England coach has seasoned performers to call on including Elkeson and Dario Conca, who have both lifted the trophy with Guangzhou Evergrande.
And it was Elkeson’s rocket of a shot which rebounded to Wu, who tucked away the loose ball before wheeling away and being mobbed by his teammates.
SIPG will now believe fate is on their side as they fly the Chinese flag in the latter stages, after the demise of holders Evergrande and fellow big-spenders Jiangsu Suning.
Earlier Brazilian maestro Leonardo bagged a brilliant brace as 2006 champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors beat Melbourne Victory 2-1 to reach the last eight.
The dead-ball specialist, who buried a superb free kick in last week’s first leg, fired home another in the opening half before scoring a sizzling second goal after the break.
Besart Berisha gave Victory hope but his late strike on 84 minutes proved to be the visitors’ best moment as they went down 3-2 on aggregate, after the first leg finished 1-1.
Leonardo fizzed a free kick into the side-netting on 19 minutes before he recalibrated and hit the far top corner from an acute angle 10 minutes later.
Leonardo rattled a stanchion with another free kick after half-time and then shot inches wide, before thumping home Ricardo Lopes’s inviting square ball to make it 2-0 on 71 minutes.
With six minutes left, Berisha squeezed home a tight near-post finish from Jai Ingham’s cross, but there was to be no miracle, last-gasp revival for FC Tokyo.
Results
Jeonbuk (South Korea) 2–1 Melbourne Victory (Australia)
Shanghai SIPG (Chin)a 1-0 FC Tokyo (Japan)
Lok. Tashkent (Uzbekistan) 2-1 Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Tractor (Iran) 3-1 Al Nasr (UAE)
There are no comments.
SPORT Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when you are saying farewell to those that have left a positive impression. That was the case earlier this month when Canada hosted Mexico in a friendly at BC Place stadium in Vancouver.
TECHNOLOGY Some 60mn primary-school-age children have no access to formal education
CULTURE Lekhwiya’s El Arabi scores the equaliser after Tresor is sent off; Tabata, al-Harazi score for QSL champions
ARABIA The Yemeni Minister of Tourism, Dr Mohamed Abdul Majid Qubati, yesterday expressed hope that the 48-hour ceasefire in Yemen declared by the Command of Coalition Forces on Saturday will be maintained in order to lift the siege imposed on Taz City and ease the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged
ARABIA Some 200 teachers from schools across the country attended Qatar Museum’s (QM) first ever Teachers Council at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) yesterday.
ARABIA The Supreme Judiciary Council (SJC) of Qatar and the Indonesian Supreme Court (SCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on judicial co-operation, it was announced yesterday.
ECONOMY Sri Lanka is keen on importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar as part of government policy to shift to clean energy, Minister of City Planning and Water Supply Rauff Hakeem has said.
