Hulk proves too hefty to handle
Brawny Brazilian powers SIPG to AFC Champions League last 16
ULSAN, South Korea — A moment of magic from Hulk set up Elkeson for the only goal as Shanghai SIPG sealed its place in the last 16 of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.
The burly Brazilian forward burst past Ulsan FC fullback Lee Myung-jae in the 50th minute with power and pace before cutting back the deftest of passes to give his compatriot a simple finish.
But the Chinese side had to ride its luck for the 1-0 win in South Korea as Ulsan squandered a succession of chances in the Group F encounter.
Ulsan will in particular be cursing a crazy couple of minutes that should have seen it go to halftime with at least a one-goal advantage.
Yohei Toyoda blasted wide in the 39th minute and seconds later the Japanese striker inexplicably blew a shot from just three yards in front of the gaping goal.
Two minutes later, with the SIPG defense still scrambling, Richard Windbichler found space at the edge of the sixyard box, but the Austrian cannoned a right-foot volley off the crossbar.
Earlier in Group F, Kosta Barbarouses fired home a dramatic last-minute winner to keep Melbourne Victory in the hunt for the last 16 with a 1-0 victory over Kawasaki Frontale.
The teams were deadlocked until the New Zealand winger got on the end of a chest-down from Terry Antonis in the 90th minute to smash home with his left foot for Melbourne’s first win of the campaign.
It lifts Victory to five points, behind Ulsan on goal difference, and those two teams are set to clash next in the South Korean city on April 4.
‘Never give up’
With 10 points, Shanghai SIPG is unbeaten at the top and is guaranteed a place in the knockout stages while Kawasaki, quarterfinalist last year, occupies the cellar and looks to be heading out with just one point.
“To be fair, I thought we had control of the second half and the persistence of this team, we’re always going to get chances,” Barbarouses told Fox Sports. “We never give up.”
Meanwhile, qualification from Group H is still wide open after leader Kashima Antlers drew 1-1 at home against Sydney FC.
The unbeaten Antlers looked on their way to a third win in four matches this term when Mu Kanazaki’s closerange header gave the Japanese side a 27th-minute lead.
But Sydney clung to its dwindling hopes of qualification with 20 minutes to go when Luke Wilkshire’s cross was met at the back post by the head of Matt Simon and bundled over the line.
The Australian side remains rooted to the bottom of Group H with two points while Kashima leads with eight.
Suwon Bluewings is second, a point behind Kashima, after Dejan Damjanovic’s second-half strike and Choi Sung-kuen’s 88th-minute clincher gave it a 2-0 win at Shanghai Shenhua’s Hongkou Stadium.
Shenhua, which also lost 2-0 at home to SIPG in the Chinese Super League Shanghai derby last weekend, remains winless with just two matches to go.
In West Asia, former champion Al Sadd of Qatar jumped to the top of Group C on goal difference with a 4-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan’s Nasaf in Doha.
Nasaf scored a 1-0 upset win last week when the teams met in Qarshi, but the 2011 winner was boosted by the return from injury of skipper Xavi, who struck in the third minute.
Abdulkarim Hassan, Baghdad Bounedjah and Jugurtha Hamroun completed the rout as Al Sadd recorded its third win to lead the group ahead of Iran’s Persepolis.
Persepolis also registered its third win, with Kamaleddin Kamyabinia’s 37th-minute goal helping it beat UAE’s Al Wasl, which fell to its fourth consecutive defeat.
In Group A, UAE’s Al Jazira grabbed second place after a 1-1 draw with Iran’s Tractorsazi, which sits at the bottom with just two points.
Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli maintained top spot after another 1-1 draw with Qatar’s Al Gharafa.
Al Ahli has eight points, but with two matches remaining the group remains open with Gharafa and Al Jazira on five each.