Wednesday September 30, 2009
Scolari’s rampaging Bunyodkor set to book semi-final spot
TOKYO: Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Bunyodkor are best placed to secure a berth in the last four of the AFC Champions League today, but the other three quarter-finals are on a knife-edge.
The former Chelsea coach takes his rampant Uzbekistan heavyweights, who lost in the semi-finals last year, to South Korea for a showdown with Pohang Steelers, comfortable after a 3-1 first leg victory last week.
The Brazil 2002 World Cup winning boss is likely to once again start his legendary countryman Rivaldo alongside Uzbek striker Anvar Soliev up front, a partnership that proved decisive in the first match.
Pohang Steelers could struggle, with key defender Kim Hyung-Il missing after he was sent off in the opening leg.
Elsewhere, the ties are more finely poised.
The all-Japanese clash between Nagoya Grampus and Kawasaki Frontale could go either way with Kawasaki defending a 2-1 lead but facing a hostile away crowd.
Grampus fired a warning to their rival by crushing defending champions Kashima Antlers 4-1 in the J-League over the weekend,
“We must play hard and aggressively against the fast-moving Kawasaki players,” said their Serbian coach Dragan Stojkovic, a former skipper of Yugoslavia.
“One thing is clear: we don’t give up.”
In Riyadh, Saudi giants Al Ittihad are favourites after securing a 1-1 draw last week away to Uzbekistan’s Pakhtakor.
Saudi defender Osama Al Harbi and Oman midfielder Ahmed Hadid are available for Al Ittihad after being suspended for the first leg.
FC Seoul bagged two crucial away goals when they played Umm Salal in Qatar and despite losing 3-2 will be confident of overturning the deficit.
The K-League leaders are expected to welcome back captain Kim Chi-gon and midfielder Kim Han-yoon from suspension as they try to overturn their surprise loss to the Champions League first-timers. — AFP
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