Sparkling comeback puts Diamonds into quarters
SAITAMA, Japan: Ryota Moriwaki scored in extra time as Urawa Red Diamonds pulled off a stunning comeback against 10-man Jeju United to reach the AFC Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.
After goals from Shinzo Koroki and Tadanari Lee in normal time, Moriwaki crashed home Urawa's third on 114 minutes to complete a 3-0 victory and reverse last week's 2-0 defeat.
The 3-2 aggregate win for the Japanese side, the Asian champions in 2007, puts them into the quarterfinals for the first time in nine years.
South Korea's Jeju looked almost home and dry after last week's 2-0 home win but Urawa had other ideas and Koroki's goal on 18 minutes brought the tie to life.
Koroki climbed high to meet a free kick with a towering header which went in off the far post.
Fifteen minutes later and Urawa were level at 2-2 on aggregate when Tadanari Lee twisted and fired in a shot from a tight angle.
As extra time loomed, Jeju's hopes were dealt a blow when Cho Yong-Hyung was sent off for a second bookable offence, leaving the visitors down to 10 men for the two added periods.
Jeju nearly held out for penalties but with six minutes of extra time remaining, Moriwaki got on the end of Toshiyuki Takagi's cross to smash in the winner.
On Tuesday, ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Paulinho grabbed a crucial goal as two-time winners Guangzhou Evergrande squeaked past Kashima Antlers on away goals on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals.
Paulinho, the scorer in last week's 1-0 win in Guangzhou, scored a tap-in on 55 minutes and it was enough to put the Chinese team through despite their 2-1 defeat on the night.
The result was cruel for Kashima, who went ahead through Pedro Junior's superb strike in the first half and scored again via Mu Kanazaki in injury time for an aggregate score of 2-2.
But it was a major step forward for Luiz Felipe Scolari's Chinese league-leaders, who lifted the Asian title in 2013 and 2015 but exited last year at the group stage.
In Tuesday's other last-16 tie in Japan, Kawasaki Frontale beat Thailand's Muangthong United 4-1 to complete a 7-2 aggregate win and reach the quarterfinals at a canter.
Pedro Junior showed skill and tenacity to open the scoring on 28 minutes, when he brushed off two challenges and launched a brilliant shot into the top corner.
Evergrande nearly hit back when Liu Jian's full-stretch volley rebounded off the post, but the most enterprising attacking play remained at the other end.
Pedro Junior skilfully lifted a ball to his fellow Brazilian Leandro, whose volley went straight at the goalkeeper, before Shoma Doi bundled a close-range half-volley over the bar.
The hosts looked comfortable but Evergrande seized back the initiative on 55 minutes when Wang Shangyuan's long throw-in was flicked on by Gao Lin.
Alan's wriggling turn-and-shot came off the near post and bounced across the face of the goal, leaving Paulinho with a simple finish to make it 2-1 on aggregate.
Kanazaki, who came on for Leandro on the hour-mark, crashed a shot in off the bar in stoppage time but Kashima had run out of time to make a comeback.
In Kawasaki, a three-goal burst in 10 first-half minutes guaranteed a quarter-final spot for the hosts as they thrashed Muangthong once again after last week's 3-1 win.
Yu Kobayashi's individual goal set the hosts on their way on 31 minutes, before his cut-back found Tatsuya Hasegawa for Kawasaki's second just a minute later.
Eduardo Neto's header on 40 minutes made it 3-0 and Brazilian midfielder Rhayner got the fourth on 79 minutes, before Teerasil Dangda grabbed a late consolation for Muangthong.