Ramires keeps big-spending Jiangsu perfect in Asia
OSAKA, Japan: Former Chelsea midfielder Ramires scored the goal that kept China’s big-spending Jiangsu Suning on top of their AFC Champions League group with a 1-0 win at Japan’s Gamba Osaka on Wednesday.
The Brazilian midfielder, who cost Jiangsu €28 million ($29.7 million) from the London club in January 2016, struck a gorgeous finish with his left foot from 20 yards six minutes before half time.
Gamba threw everything forward in the second half as they went in search of an equalizer, but it was Jiangsu who went closest to another goal with some lightning counterattacking led by man-of-the-match Ramires and countryman Alex Teixeira, who cost €50 million from Shakhtar Donetsk just over a year ago.
The result leaves Jiangsu sitting pretty five points clear at the top of Group H with a perfect three wins from three outings.
Adelaide United got their first point of the campaign after coming from behind twice in a pulsating 3-3 draw at home to Korea’s Jeju United in the other Group H match.
A goalless first half gave no clue to the fireworks that were to unfold after half time as the match trans- formed from bore draw into a sixgoal thriller.
The South Australian champions took the lead when Papa Diawara stroked home a 51st minute penalty.
Free-scoring Jeju, who put four goals past Gamba Osaka in Japan a fortnight ago, hit back 10 minutes later through their giant striker Frederic Mendy and took the lead when Brazilian Marcelo Toscano thumped home an unstoppable right-foot piledriver from the edge of the box on 71 minutes.
But Adelaide pulled it back to 2-2 less than two minutes later when Sergio Cirio headed home from Ben Garuccio’s cross.
That set the stage for a crazy finale as Kwon Soon-Hyung fired Jeju 3-2 ahead with six minutes remaining only for Adelaide to level again, this time within 60 seconds of the restart.
Jordan O’Doherty first thought he had equalized when his terrific curling effort struck the post but the home side’s Korean import, Kim JaeSung, kept his cool to collect the rebound and deliver a delightful back-heeled pass for Mark Ochieng to bury in the left-hand corner of the net.
Cirio had a golden opportunity to seal a famous victory for Adelaide as he broke clear with seconds of stoppage time remaining but was denied by a fabulous Lee Chang-Geun save. D. Karunaratne c Mehedi b Mustafizur U. Tharanga c Soumya b Mehedi K. Mendis st Mushfiqur b Mehedi D. Chandimal not out A. Gunaratne lbw Roy D. de Silva b Taijul N. Dickwella b Shakib D. Perera c Soumya b Mustafizur R. Herath not out 7 11 5 86 13 34 34 9 18 21 (for 7 wkts) 238
1-13, 2-24, 3-35, 4-70, 5-136, 6-180, 7-195.
Mustafizur 15-5-32-2 (w5), Roy 15-2-47-1 (nb2, w1), Mehedi 15-2-58-2, Taijul 14-2-34-1, Shakib 20.1-3-43-1, Mosaddek 4-0-11-0. changes to the squad.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Liton Das was ruled out on the eve of the match with a rib fracture, allowing Mosaddek Hossain to earn his debut.
Mominul Haque, Mahmudullah and Taskin Ahmed made way for Imrul Kayes, Sabbir Rahman and Taijul.