OSAKA, Japan — Group leader Shanghai SIPG kept former champion Gamba Osaka winless in a 2-0 victory in the Asian Champions League Wednesday.
Shanghai’s third straight win kept it atop Group G and on track to make the knock-outs, while all but snuffing out the second-round hopes of 2008 champion Osaka.
Wu Lei put the visiting Chinese team on the scoresheet in the middle of the second half, and Lu Wenjun doubled the lead on a deflected volley with 18 minutes left.
Gamba’s best chance came late in the first half when Takashi Usami’s strike from the edge of the area was tipped over the crossbar by Shanghai goalkeeper Yan Junling.
The Melbourne Victory remained second in the group after drawing with South Korea’s Suwon Bluewings 1-1 in a critical match between them. Melbourne stayed three points ahead of Suwon with two group matches to go.
Kwon Chang-hoon scored for Suwon just before the hour mark, only for Kosta Barbarouses to respond for Melbourne just two minutes later.
Elsewhere Vietnam’s Binh Duong got its first win in Group E when it stunned 2006 champion Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors 3-2, sealed by Nguyen Anh Duc’s second penalty of the night on 88 minutes.
Jeonbuk finished the bad-tempered game with nine men after both Kim Chang-soo and Kim Hyung-il were sent off as the visitors squandered a 2-1 first-half lead.
Nguyen scored from the spot in the 12th minute before Jeonbuk took charge with goals from Lee Jong-ho and Han Kyo-won, only for Christian Amougou to make it 2-2 on 35 minutes.
And Nguyen held his nerve to bury his second spot-kick two minutes from time to resurrect Binh Duong’s campaign and give them hope of reaching the last 16.
In other matches Lokomotiv Tashkent of Uzbekistan edged Sepahan of Iran 1-0; FC Tokyo of Japan beat Jiangsu Suning of China 2-1; and Tractor Sazi Tabriz of Iran blanked Pakhtakor Tashkent of Uzbekistan 2-0.
AFC warns members
Asia’s football governing body Wednesday reiterated its warning to member associations to remain independent of third party interference, saying it hindered the game’s growth in the region.
The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) did not refer to any specific country, however Indonesia was suspended from international football last May after the government attempted to replace the country’s football association and Kuwait was banned in October because of alleged government interference in the sport.
“We need to support these MAs (member associations) to make sure their football does not fall behind. We also need to take all possible steps to avoid third-party intervention in our MAs,” said deputy chairman of the AFC Taskforce, Mariano V. Araneta Jr.
He said member associations were being punished for actions that were outside their control.
“It is extremely damaging for the members, who are not only banned from playing international football but also lose their grassroots funding.
“Development is being hugely affected in these MAs through lost income from their sponsors, as well as funding from the AFC and FIFA. This, in turn, leads to staff losses and cancelled projects,” he added.
The taskforce also discussed the scope of suspensions arising from external intervention, agreeing that suspended member associations should still be eligible to get development and financial support from the AFC and FIFA.
