AFC Champions League - Most popular for 2009
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Gamba Osaka (ガンバ大阪) is a Japanese professional football club,
currently playing in the J. League Division 1 and AFC Champions League. Located in Suita, Osaka,
the team's home stadium is Osaka Expo '70 Stadium. Gamba are one of only six teams to have competed
in Japan's top flight of football every year since its inception [.
A bullying, selfish FIFA Confederation President pursuing his own agenda to the detriment of the
development of the beautiful game? No, not Jack Warner, but AFC boss Mohamed Bin Hammam.
That, at least, is the perspective of much of New Zealand's soccer media this week, following
the AFC's ultimatum to New Zealand's Wellington Phoenix, who play in Australia's A-League: become a
lot more Australian, or else.
It is a fact, and perhaps not an ideal one, that as soon as the K-League starts its new season, the
Asian Champions League also gets into gear. Clubs that don't hit the ground running can often find
that before they know what is happening, they are hotfooting it out of Asia's premier club
competition.
ESPN recently released a new app for the iPhone entitled ESPN ScoreCenter, which is a must-have
app for soccer fans.
The free app features real-time score updates, live game details, schedules, stats, game
summaries and more for an exhaustive number of leagues and tournaments, such as:
- Premier League,
- Champions League,
- La Liga,
- Bundesliga,
- Serie A,
- MLS,
- USL-1,
- Championship,
- Confederations Cup,
- World Cup qualifiers,
- International friendlies,
- UEFA Cup,
- African Nations Cup,
- AFC Champions League,
- Copa America,
- and many many more.
Let's start this off by congratulating our two new continental champions. South Korea's Ponang
Seelers took the AFC Champions League title this weekend with a 2-1 defeat of Saudi club
Al-Ittihad. In Africa, the CAF Champions League title was won by Congo Democratic Republic's TP
Mazembi who defeated Nigeria's Heartland FC.
The 2009 J. League fixture list has been announced.
The first round of fixtures heralds a marquee clash between bitter rivals Kashima Antlers and Urawa
Reds at Kashima Stadium, while J1 newcomers Montedio Yamagata travel to Yamaha Stadium to take on
Jubilo Iwata.
The highlight clash in Round 2 sees Urawa Reds host regional foes FC Tokyo, while Nagoya Grampus
travel to ND Soft Stadium in Yamagata as Montedio prepare to host their first ever top-flight
fixture.
The displays in this week's AFC Champions League openers have prompted much speculation about
whether Australian clubs can reproduce Adelaide United's 2008 form and progress all the way to the
'09 final.
In fairness neither the Central Coast nor Newcastle convinced in their maiden continental outings.
With the 2010 Asian World Cup qualifiers and the AFC Champions League currently ongoing, Soccer
City FC recently spoke with one of Asia's top football writers, Antony Sutton. Mainly covering the
sport in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, Sutton kindly answered our questions
regarding the entire region.
The draw for the group stage of the 2009 AFC Champions League has thrown up some tough challenges
for Japanese clubs.
The opening stages of the Champions League are split into regionalised West Asian and East Asian
groups, and Nagoya Grampus will have a tough time of things when they make their debut in the
competition.
It may have been a record-breaking opening across the way in South Korea, but the J. League proved
that it can also pack them in on a drama-charged opening weekend.
The Sunday fixtures saw Omiya Ardija and Shimizu S-Pulse grind out a scoreless draw, while Kyoto
Sanga beat Vissel Kobe 1-0 in an early Kansai derby.
TOR CHITTINAND
They have 16 points from six games, three points clear of Osotspa M-150 and Chonburi FC in the
16-team league.
For many fans, this is a surprise. In fact, it is not as Bangkok Glass are "old wine in a new
bottle".
Bangkok Glass were formerly known as Krung Thai Bank, who were disbanded after last season to avoid
legal problems.
The Eastern European grip on the UEFA Cup, drawing to a close in the wake of the rebranded Europa
League, stiffened as Shakhtar Donetsk became the first-ever Ukrainian team to win a European
contest following on from the breakup of the Soviet Union. Brazilian duo Luiz Adriano and Jádson
stole the accolades for Shakhtar, who were forced into extra-time once opposing compatriot Naldo
equalised from a 30-year free-kick for Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen.
They say that great goalscorers become renowned for the timing of their goals as much as the
quantity.
Such a maxim might well apply to 20-year-old NSW product Jason Hoffman after he popped up with
the winner in the first-half of Newcastle's historic AFC Champions League victory over Ulsan
Hyundai last night.
When the draw for the AFC Champions League group stage was made back in December 2008, few
tipped unheralded Japanese side Nagoya Grampus as potential title contenders.
The general consensus was that Dragan Stojkovic's team had been lucky to sneak into third place in
the J. League, and thereby qualify for the Asian Football Confederation's recently revamped
continental jamboree.
The AFC Region (Asia) wraps up its 2009 season of the Champions League on Saturday, November 7,
2009. The final has Saudi Arabian side Al Ittihad facing South Korean side Pohang Steelers. Live
coverage of the match will be provided at Free Live Sports TV. The link is below and the match is
set to start at 05:00 EST, 10:00 GMT, or 19:00 JST.
37-year-old French midfielder Sabri Lamouchi is now at the Qatari league's
Umm-Salal. After winning the 2008 Emir of Qatar Cup, the club has qualified for the Group Stage of
2009 AFC Champions League.
Lamouchi was a member of France's semi-final squad at Euro 1996. He has played for European clubs
AJ Auxerre, Monaco, and Parma.
Singapore Armed Forces started off their defence of the S-League with an extremely
comfortable 3-0 victory against Balestier Khalsa. After progressing through to the
AFC Champions League Final Qualifier by overcoming Provincial Electricity
Authority of Thailand in extra-time, Singapore Armed Forces could have shown moments of
complacency but instead prepared for the upcoming continental match to almost perfection.
Singapore Armed Forces FC reached the promised-land of the AFC Champions League
and elevated themselves on par with Asia's finest for the very first time as they scarcely overcame
Indonesia's PSMS Medan 2-1 to advance through to the group stages for the nation's
very first time.
Twelve games played. Seven defeats. Four draws. One win.
That's the record A-League clubs currently hold against their Japanese counterparts in the Asian
Champions League, with Australian teams struggling to hold their own against the might of the
Japanese game.
The trend continued this week when Central Coast Mariners lost for the second straight time to
Kawasaki Frontale, while Newcastle Jets missed a penalty in succumbing to Nagoya Grampus at home.
On Wednesday 22nd April 2009, Manchester United moved one step closer to
protecting their control of the English Premiership with a home victory over
Portsmouth while Barcelona's spectacular triumph over
Sevilla allowed them to rise six points ahead of Real Madrid in the race for the
Spanish Primera Division title.
Written by Martin Reza Babry
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
PFDC - TEHRAN, Team Melli thrashed Indonesia 5-0 in a test match in Azadi stadium, who due to their
league schedule had sent their Olympic squad to Iran's capital.
Ferydoon Zandi scored a brace, while Khalatbari and Borhani each scored one and assisted another.
You have to think that Gary van Egmond had endured enough turmoil in his 32-month stint at the helm
of the Newcastle Jets.
To some, it was no huge surprise when Van Egmond, an affable 44-year-old and former A-League coach
of the year, this week handed in his resignation to outspoken Jets owner Con Constantine.
On the other side of the world to the eupohoria filled European Champions League, there is
another ‘Champions League'. The AFC Champions League. For those of you unaware of this league, 35
teams participate, either though direct qualification, or if you're from the UAE, Indonesia,
Singapore, Thailand or India, you have the arduous task of a playoff.
All the colour of the Japanese Yamazaki Nabisco League Cup final will descend upon the
National Stadium in Tokyo on November 3, with this year's showpiece event set to be an all-local
affair.
FC Tokyo have reached their first League Cup final since 2004, with Hiroshi Jofuku's team winning
through on the back of some impressive displays.
Defending AFC champions Pohang Steelers of the Korean K-League are primed for action in
tomorrow's FIFA World Club Cup 2009 quarter-final meeting with African champions TP Mazembe. For
those of you who don't follow Asian soccer, here's a look the Pohang Steelers Kappa 09/10 home kit.
Should the Steelers win tomorrow, they'll meet South American [.
Their campaign could hardly have been more exhausting, but Gamba Osaka are the Emperor's Cup
champions after beating underdogs Kashiwa Reysol 1-0 in front of 44,066 fans at the National
Stadium in Tokyo.
Gamba started the season by lifting the exhibition Pan-Pacific Championship in Hawaii last
February.
The quest for continental fame, fortune and prosperity extends itself beyond the horizons of
Europe's UEFA Champions League as the skirmish to land silverware becomes apparent throughout the
globe. The captivating duel between Ferguson and Mourinho might be set for a return to our screens
tonight but over the coming hours and days, the crowns of the six continents move a footstep closer
to being resolved and we look towards the forthcoming fixture schedule.
Following their uninspiring performance in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle Jets in the AFC Champions
League in midweek, Nagoya Grampus rounded out a disappointing week by going down 1-0 to Urawa Reds
in front of 32,435 fans at Toyota Stadium.
17-year-old midfielder Genki Haraguchi was the hero for the Reds - coming off the bench to replace
the injured Tatsuya Tanaka after just 22 minutes, before blasting home his first ever top flight
goal two minutes before the break.
With Persipura officially champions now we await the race for runners up spot. Persiwa are in pole
position with 60 points from their 30 games. Their first challenge comes later this week when
Persib Bandung take them on.
Persib have two games in hand on the Highlanders as well as home advantage.
KUALA LUMPUR: Newly crowned Malaysian Super League champions Selangor have declared their
determination to shine in next year's AFC Cup.
Team manager Zakaria Ab Rahim told the local media that Malaysia's most popular club would now
strive to make an impression in continental competitions.
"It's time to move forward and be counted in Asia," said Zakaria.
Kawasaki Frontale fans' flags in the AFC Champions League, Sep. 23 2009
Photo credit: dillo-h.com on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.
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2010 AFC Cup draw - Preview
The draw for the 2010 AFC Cup takes place on Monday 7th December at AFC House, Kuala Lumpur,
starting at 3pm local time (7am UK time). Thai Port are in the East Asia part of the draw. 12 clubs
from the region will be drawn into 3 groups of 4 teams.
Teams 1-9 listed below, have qualified for the AFC Cup.
Following their 2-1 defeat against ISL leaders Arema, Persipura officials used the post match press
conference to accuse the home team's supporters of making racist comments.
These have not been happy days for the Champions as they come off three straight defeats and ahead
of crucial games against PSPS and Persija.
The FIFA 2009 Club World Cup begins the semifinals with Pohang Steelers v Estudiantes La Plata
on Tuesday, December 15, 2009. Estudiantes are the CONMEBOL team who won the Copa Libertadores
while Pohang Steelers won the 2009 AFC Champions League. The match will be covered live on our
other site, Free Live Sports TV, at the link below.
We're not yet a third of the way through the ISL season and still no bugger has been sacked. And
this despite some less than stellar starts from some of the supposed bigger names in the
country.
Rahmad Darmawan has probably the safest job in football so we'll leave him alone while it doesn't
matter who the coach is at Persitara.
