MATCH PRESS KIT Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Luneng (CHN) , Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce (JPN) vs Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Contents 1 – Group background 6 – Team facts 2 – Match facts 7 – Competition statistics 3 – Competition fixtures & standings 8 – Domestic results & standings 4 – Squad information 9 – Competition facts 5 – Coach profiles 10 - AFC information

This press kit includes information relating to this AFC Champions League match.

Group background

Adelaide United of and defending champions of Republic have already qualified for the last 16 after their goalless draw in Korea on Matchday 5.

However, there is still plenty for both sides to play for with first place and a home game in the Round of 16 against the runners-up from Group F on the line.

Adelaide host Shandong Luneng of knowing if they match Pohang’s result against they will top the group ahead of the defending champions by virtue of a better head-to-head record.

A defeat for the Australian club and a Pohang victory would see the Korean side take first place and with it home field advantage in the second round.

Pohang, meanwhile, visit to face Sanfrecce Hiroshima needing a win to have any realistic chance of topping the group ahead of Adelaide United.

The winner of Group H faces off against the runner-up in Group F, which will be either Japanese champions or K-League winners Jeonbuk Motors.

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Match facts

Adelaide United vs Shandong Luneng Adelaide United beat Shandong Luneng 2-0 in China on Matchday 2, the first time in three AFC Champions League meetings that the A-League club has prevailed against the side. The teams met twice in 2007, with Shandong winning 1-0 in Adelaide before drawing the return in China 2-2.

Adelaide United  Adelaide, the AFC Champions League runners-up in 2008, secured their passage into the knockout stage once again when they held Pohang Steelers to a goalless draw in Korea on Matchday 5.  With the notable exception of their 0-2 defeat against Gamba in the 2008 final, Adelaide have won six of their last seven AFC Champions League home games at Hindmarsh Stadium.  Defender and midfielders Lucas Pantelis and Adam Hughes are suspended after picking up their second yellow cards of the AFC Champions League during the goalless draw at Pohang Steelers.  However, defender is set to return after serving a one-game suspension.

Domestic form  Adelaide endured their worst A-League campaign during the recently-concluded 2009/10 , finishing bottom of the 10-team league. The South Australian club managed only seven wins in 27 games and finished five points out of a play-off spot. With the A-League season finished, the club have arranged friendly matches with other A-League clubs to maintain their fitness levels.

Shandong Luneng  Defender Sinisa Radanovic is suspended after being sent off in the 2-3 loss to Sanfrecce Hiroshima on Matchday 5. However, defender Zheng is set to return from a one-game suspension.  After starting well with a 1-0 win in Japan against Sanfrecce Hiroshime, Shandong have slumped to four straight defeats in the AFC Champions League. They have missed out on a place in the knockout phase of the competition once again, the third time in four seasons the Chinese club have not progressed from the group stage.

Domestic form  Shandong Luneng have been the form team in the early exchanges in the Chinese Super League, sitting atop the standings after five games. Branko Ivankovic’s side were held to a draw by Shide before handing Hongyun a 2-0 defeat to maintain their position at the top of the table.  Strikers Wang Yongpo and Han Peng are joint second in the CSL’s scoring charts, with three goals each.

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs Pohang Steelers After losing their opening game against Adelaide United, defending champions Pohang Steelers got a huge lift when they beat tournament newcomers Sanfrecce Hiroshima 2-1 in Korea on Matchday 2. They reeled off three straight wins before being held to a goalless draw by Adelaide on Matchday 5.

Sanfrecce Hiroshima  Despite winning their last two games, Sanfrecce Hiroshima have become the first Japanese side to fall at the group stage since and Verdy in 2006.  Defender is suspended after receiving his second yellow card of the AFC Champions League during their 3-2 win over Shandong Luneng two weeks ago.

Domestic form  Sanfrecce Hiroshima pulled themselves back up the J.League table after going three games undefeated since their last outing in the AFC Champions League.  Draws against Kashima Antlers and Albirex sandwiched a 1-0 win over in a game that was held over from the fourth round of matches.  Hisato Sato is joint top scorer in the J.League with five goals in eight games.

Pohang Steelers  Pohang need to beat Sanfrecce and hope for Adelaide to drop points at home against Shandong Luneng to secure top spot.  Midfielder Kim Jung-kyum is suspended after being booked for a second time in this year’s AFC Champions League during the goalless draw with Adelaide.

Domestic form  Pohang have struggled in the league so far this season and their recent results have shown no sign of picking up. The club have secured just one point in the last five games and their form since their last game in the AFC Champions League has continued in a similar vein, losing against Incheon United and Daejon Citizen.  Only a comfortable win over Chungju in the Korean FA Cup has arrested that slide in domestic competition.

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Competition fixtures & standings

Group H GP W D L GF GA +/- Pts ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) 5 3 1 1 6 3 3 10 POHANG STEELERS (KOR) 5 3 1 1 5 3 2 10 SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) 5 2 0 3 7 8 -1 6 SHANDONG LUNENG (CHN) 5 1 0 4 4 8 -4 3

24 February 2010 ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) - POHANG STEELERS (KOR) at Hindmarsh Stadium 1-0 SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) - SHANDONG LUNENG (CHN) at Hiroshima Big Arch 0-1 10 March 2010 POHANG STEELERS (KOR) - SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) at Pohang Steelyard 2-1 SHANDONG LUNENG (CHN) - ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) at Shandong Sports Center 0-2 24 March 2010 ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) - SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) at Hindmarsh Stadium 3-2 POHANG STEELERS (KOR) - SHANDONG LUNENG (CHN) at Pohang Steelyard 1-0 30 March 2010 SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) - ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) at Hiroshima Big Arch 1-0 SHANDONG LUNENG (CHN) - POHANG STEELERS (KOR) at Shandong Sports Center 1-2 13 April 2010 POHANG STEELERS (KOR) - ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) at Pohang Steelyard 0-0 SHANDONG LUNENG (CHN) - SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) at Shandong Sports Center 2-3 27 April 2010 ADELAIDE UNITED (AUS) - SHANDONG LUNENG (CHN) at Hindmarsh Stadium, 19:30 SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) - POHANG STEELERS (KOR) at Hiroshima Big Arch, 19:00

ROUND OF 16 12 May 2010

QUARTER-FINALS 15 September 2010 – First Leg 22 September 2010 – Second Leg

SEMI-FINALS 6 October 2010 – First Leg 20 October 2010 – Second Leg

FINAL 13 November 2010 (Tokyo)

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Squad information

Adelaide United

No Pos Player Name DOB Nat Min Gs YC RC 1 GK EUGEN GALEKOVIC 12 Jun, 1981 AUS 450 -3 2 DF ROBERT CORNTHWAITE 24 Oct, 1985 AUS 450 1 1 3 DF NIGEL BOOGARD 14 Aug, 1986 AUS 93 1 4 DF IAIN FYFE 03 Apr, 1982 AUS 360 2 5 DF DANIEL MULLEN 26 Oct, 1989 AUS 450 2 6 MF CASSIO 08 Jan, 1980 BRA 152 1 7 MF LUCAS PANTELIS 12 Mar, 1982 AUS 419 2 8 MF KRISTIAN SARKIES 25 Oct, 1986 AUS 90 9 FW 06 Aug, 1982 NED 345 1 10 MF ADAM HUGHES 14 Jul, 1982 AUS 32 2 12 MF PAUL REID 06 Jul, 1979 AUS 12 13 MF 06 Jan, 1980 AUS 419 1 1 14 DF 13 Oct, 1988 AUS 438 1 15 FW FRANCESCO MONTEROSSO 20 Apr, 1991 AUS 16 MF SHIN IN-SEOB 01 Jun, 1989 KOR 17 MF 27 Jan, 1987 AUS 423 18 MF FABIAN BARBIERO 02 May, 1984 AUS 48 19 FW 04 Feb, 1991 AUS 357 2 1 20 GK 17 Apr, 1991 AUS 21 DF 27 Aug, 1975 AUS 22 DF DANE MILOVANOVIC 02 Dec, 1989 AUS 23 MF JOSEPH COSTA 17 Jul, 1992 AUS 24 MF 23 Oct, 1985 ARG 386 25 FW EVAN KOSTOPOULOS 07 May, 1990 AUS 26 DF PERRY MITRIS 12 Oct, 1990 AUS 27 MF ADAM GRIFFITHS 21 Aug, 1979 AUS 28 28 MF MATTHEW MULLEN 24 Feb, 1989 AUS 29 MF JOEL ALLWRIGHT 04 Mar, 1989 AUS 30 GK NICHOLAS MUNRO 01 May, 1993 AUS

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Min: Minutes Played Gs: Goals scored (when Goalkeeper refers to goals conceded) YC: Yellow Cards RC: Red Cards

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Pohang Steelers

No Pos Player Name DOB Nat Min Gs YC RC 1 GK SHIN HWA-YONG 13 Apr, 1983 KOR 450 -3 2 MF PARK HEE-CHUL 07 Jan, 1986 KOR 90 3 DF KIM KWANG-SUK 12 Feb, 1983 KOR 450 1 4 DF KAZUNARI OKAYAMA 24 Apr, 1978 JPN 180 5 MF KIM TAE-SU 25 Aug, 1981 KOR 442 1 6 MF KIM GI-DONG 12 Jan, 1972 KOR 7 MF KIM JAE-SUNG 03 Oct, 1983 KOR 427 1 8 MF HWANG JIN-SUNG 05 May, 1984 KOR 108 9 FW ALEXANDRO 06 Nov, 1986 BRA 333 10 FW MOTA 21 Nov, 1980 BRA 450 11 FW SEOL KI -HYEON 08 Jan, 1979 KOR 15 DF CHO HONG-KYU 24 Jul, 1983 KOR 16 MF KIM JUNG-KYUM 09 Jun, 1976 KOR 358 2 17 FW KU KI-GU 31 Jul, 1980 KOR 8 18 FW ALMIR 20 May, 1982 BRA 138 1 20 MF SHIN HYUNG-MIN 18 Jul, 1986 KOR 450 1 21 GK SONG DONG-JIN 12 May, 1984 KOR 22 FW NO BYUNG-JUN 29 Sep, 1979 KOR 304 1 23 FW RYU CHANG-HYUN 14 May, 1985 KOR 38 24 DF HWANG JAE-WON 13 Apr, 1981 KOR 270 1 2 26 FW CHO CHAN-HO 10 Apr, 1986 KOR 28 MF SONG CHANG-HO 20 Feb, 1986 KOR 3 29 FW HYUN-YEON 16 Apr, 1984 KOR 4 30 FW JUNG JUNG-SEUK 20 Jan, 1988 KOR 31 GK KIM DA-SOL 04 Jan, 1989 KOR 32 DF KIM HYUNG-IL 27 Apr, 1984 KOR 450 33 FW LEE GI-DONG 11 May, 1984 KOR 37 DF KANG DAE-HO 23 Nov, 1989 KOR 40 MF KIM DAE-HO 15 May, 1988 KOR

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Min: Minutes Played Gs: Goals scored (when Goalkeeper refers to goals conceded) YC: Yellow Cards RC: Red Cards

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

No Pos Player Name DOB Nat Min Gs YC RC 1 GK TAKASHI SHIMODA 28 Nov, 1975 JPN 2 DF ILIAN STOYANOV 20 Jan, 1977 BUL 212 1 1 5 DF 11 May, 1987 JPN 270 6 MF 22 Feb, 1986 JPN 7 MF KOJI MORISAKI 09 May, 1981 JPN 331 1 8 MF KAZUYUKI MORISAKI 09 May, 1981 JPN 360 1 9 FW 19 Dec, 1985 JPN 136 2 1 11 FW HISATO SATO 12 Mar, 1982 JPN 445 1 13 MF ISSEI TAKAYANAGI 14 Sep, 1986 JPN 204 1 14 MF MIHAEL MIKIC 06 Jan, 1980 CRO 15 MF YOJIRO TAKAHAGI 02 Aug, 1986 JPN 180 16 MF SATORU YAMAGISHI 03 May, 1983 JPN 429 17 MF KOTA HATTORI 22 Nov, 1977 JPN 423 1 19 DF KOHEI MORITA 13 Jul, 1976 JPN 20 MF SHINICHIRO KUWADA 06 Dec, 1986 JPN 14 21 GK 18 Jun, 1986 JPN 450 -8 22 MF TSUBASA YOKOTAKE 30 Aug, 1989 JPN 308 1 23 MF HIRONORI ISHIKAWA 06 Jan, 1988 JPN 24 DF RYOTA MORIWAKI 06 Apr, 1986 JPN 405 2 25 FW JUNYA OSAKI 02 Apr, 1991 JPN 27 FW KOHEI SHIMIZU 30 Apr, 1989 JPN 9 28 FW TAKUYA MARUTANI 30 May, 1989 JPN 1 30 MF SHO SHINOHARA 11 Aug, 1989 JPN 32 MF TOMOTAKA OKAMOTO 29 Jun, 1990 JPN 33 FW MASATO YAMAZAKI 04 Dec, 1981 JPN 266 34 GK HIROTSUGU NAKABAYASHI 28 Apr, 1986 JPN 35 MF KOJI NAKAJIMA 20 Aug, 1977 JPN 412 36 GK YUTARO HARA 23 Apr, 1990 JPN

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Min: Minutes Played Gs: Goals scored (when Goalkeeper refers to goals conceded) YC: Yellow Cards RC: Red Cards

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Shandong Luneng

No Pos Player Name DOB Nat Min Gs YC RC 1 GK LI LEILEI 30 Jun, 1977 CHN 270 -3 2 MF JINDONG 09 Dec, 1984 CHN 450 3 DF CARLOS SANTOS 25 Feb, 1985 CRO 450 4 DF SINISA RADANOVIC 23 Nov, 1979 SRB 89 2 1 5 DF SHU CHANG 24 Feb, 1977 CHN 6 MF 19 Jul, 1985 CHN 374 1 7 MF 31 May, 1987 CHN 328 2 8 MF WANG YONGPO 19 Jan, 1987 CHN 330 9 FW HAN PENG 13 Sep, 1983 CHN 432 2 11 MF DENG ZHUOXIANG 24 Oct, 1988 CHN 24 12 GK GENG XIAOFENG 15 Oct, 1987 CHN 13 FW 06 Jan, 1990 CHN 19 14 FW FRED BENSON 10 Apr, 1984 NED 296 1 1 15 DF YUAN WEIWEI 25 Nov, 1985 CHN 450 16 DF 11 Jul, 1989 CHN 168 2 17 MF WAN CHENG 01 Nov, 1985 CHN 18 MF RODA ANTAR 12 Sep, 1980 LIB 405 19 MF CHI 08 Jul, 1987 CHN 20 DF WANG LIANG 01 Apr, 1979 CHN 12 21 DF LIU ZHAO 11 Jan, 1985 CHN 22 GK YANG CHENG 11 Oct, 1985 CHN 180 -5 23 MF LI WEI 18 Mar, 1985 CHN 24 FW LU ZHENG 25 Feb, 1985 CHN 281 1 25 DF JIAO ZHE 21 Aug, 1981 CHN 180 1 26 DF XIA NINGNING 04 Jan, 1987 CHN 132 1 27 MF MA LONG 26 Feb, 1990 CHN 28 1 28 MF MA XINGYU 04 Nov, 1989 CHN 29 FW 06 Jul, 1977 CHN 93 1 30 GK SHAO PULIANG 06 Jul, 1989 CHN

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Min: Minutes Played Gs: Goals scored (when Goalkeeper refers to goals conceded) YC: Yellow Cards RC: Red Cards

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Team coach profiles

Aurelio Vidmar – Adelaide United

Appointed head coach of Adelaide United on an interim basis after the resignation of John Kosmina just before the club’s AFC Champions League debut in 2007, has gone on to successfully establish himself in the position at his hometown club. Learning from his team’s failure to negotiate the group stage on their first attempt, the canny and outspoken 43-year-old led the Reds on an unlikely run to the final in 2008, when they knocked out fancied Kashima Antlers and Bunyodkor along the way. The former Australia international midfielder played for Group H rivals Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the late 1990s.

Waldemar Lemos – Pohang Steelers

Waldemar Lemos has a huge task at Pohang as he attempts to improve upon the legacy of former Steelers boss Sergio Farias, who won everything there was to win in Korea during his five seasons there before signing off with an AFC Champions League triumph last year. Lemos, a 55-year-old native of Rio de Janeiro, arrives at Pohang after a coaching career that has lasted nearly 30 years and included spells at clubs in his native Brazil, Japan, and . The younger brother of Kashima Antlers manager Oswaldo de Oliveira, he has signed a one-year deal at Pohang.

Mihailo Petrovic – Sanfrecce Hiroshima

After working in his adopted homeland of Austria with Sturm Graz for three seasons, Mihailo Petrovic moved to Japan in 2006 to join Sanfrecce Hiroshima. In 2007 he oversaw the club’s relegation to the second division before initiating a rebuilding process that not only saw Sanfrecce win the J2 title in 2008 but also finish fourth in the top flight the following year. The Serbia-born manager previously played for Red Belgrade and Dinamo Zagreb before joining Sturm Graz in the mid-1980s, first as a player before coaching the club’s amateur team. He then returned to Austria in 2003 before his move to the J.League.

Branko Ivankovic – Shandong Luneng

Former coach Branko Ivankovic will take charge of Shandong Luneng for the first time this season after coming in as replacement to Ljubisa Tumbakovic, who had led the club since 2004. The Croatian, who took Iran to the 2006 World Cup finals and also worked as an assistant to Miroslav Blazevic when his home country reached the semi-finals at France 98, has returned to Asian football after spending two seasons with Dinamo Zagreb.

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Team facts

Adelaide United

History: Founded in 2003, Adelaide United competed in Australia’s Soccer League for one season before the league was folded and replaced by the A-League, of which Adelaide were one of eight founder clubs. The Reds topped the regular season standings in the inaugural season in 2005/06 and reached the league’s grand final in 2007 and 2009, losing to Melbourne Victory on each occasion. They failed to make it past the group stage on their AFC Champions League debut in 2007 but made an unlikely run to the final the following year. They eliminated Chinese league champions Changchun Yatai and Korean league champions Pohang Steelers during the group stage, Japanese title holders Kashima Antlers in the quarter-finals and big-spending Uzbek outfit Bunyodkor in the last four before succumbing to Gamba Osaka in the final.

2008/09 season Domestic record: Adelaide booked their spot in this year’s AFC Champions League after finishing second to Melbourne Victory in the A-League in the 2008-09 season. They ended the regular season level on points and goal difference with Melbourne but were pipped to the premiership crown on the number of goals scored. They subsequently lost 0-1 to the same team in the grand final.

Pohang Steelers

History: Pohang Steelers made history last year when they defeated Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia 2-1 in Tokyo to become the first team to be crowned Asian champions three times. As the POSCO Atoms, Pohang were one of the most successful teams in the early years of the K- League winning three championships and finishing runners-up twice in the first 10 seasons. They won their first Asian Club Championships in 1997 with a 2-1 win over K-League rivals Ilhwa Chunma in the final and retained their title the following year when they won a penalty shootout against Dalian Wanda of China. After a long trophy drought, they won the K-League for the fourth time in 2007 and the Korean FA Cup for the second time the following year before landing the AFC Champions League in 2009.

2009 season Domestic record: Pohang Steelers were twice denied honours last season by Seongnam Ilhwa. They finished second in the K-League during the regular season but went out in the semi-final of the championship play-off after losing 0-1 to Seongnam. They also lost 1-2 to the same team in the Korean FA Cup quarter-finals.

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

History: Sanfrecce Hiroshima make their debut appearance in the AFC Champions League after finishing fourth in last season’s J.League, a remarkable achievement for a club that only 12 months before had been playing in the country’s second division. Sanfrecce emerged from J2 as champions, but few expected them to make such an immediate impact as they challenged the established trio at the top of the first division. In their pre-J.League guise as , the club dominated Japanese football in the 1960s, winning four league titles in a row while also finishing third in the 1969 edition of the Asian Club Championship. They have rarely hit those heights in recent years, with their greatest success coming when they won the first stage of the J.League in 1994. However, they lost in the league play-off against Verdy Kawasaki.

2009 season Domestic record: Sanfrecce Hiroshima won the J.League’s second division in decisive fashion in 2008, picking up 100 points and finishing 22 points ahead of runners-up Mentedio Yamagata. However, few expected them to mount a strong challenge in the top flight last year as they finished fourth, 10 points behind champions Kashima Antlers.

Shandong Luneng

History: Shandong Luneng have recently been a force in Chinese football, winning three Chinese league titles since 1999 including a pair of Super League titles in 2006 and 2008, as well as three Chinese FA Cups. They reached the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League on their debut in 2005 but went out after a 3-8 aggregate defeat against eventual winners Al Ittihad. The Chinese side have disappointed on their last two appearances in the competition, going out in the group stage in 2007 and last year.

2009 season Domestic record: After finishing in the top three in the China Super League for five consecutive seasons, Shandong Luneng dropped to fourth last year. They were level on points with Shanghai Shenhua and Teda but they secured China’s last spot in the AFC Champions League thanks to their better head-to-head record in matches against the other two teams.

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Competition statistics

Statistics by Teams Goals scored No. Team Goals 1 JEONBUK MOTORS (KOR) 14 (G), 2 (PK), 0 (Own), 16 (total) 2 KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) 11 (G), 1 (PK), 0 (Own), 12 (total) 3 AL AHLI (KSA) 10 (G), 1 (PK), 0 (Own), 11 (total) 4 MES KERMAN (IRN) 10 (G), 0 (PK), 0 (Own), 10 (total) 5 AL SADD (QAT) 10 (G), 0 (PK), 0 (Own), 10 (total) 6 AL HILAL (KSA) 10 (G), 0 (PK), 0 (Own), 10 (total) 7 AL GHARAFA (QAT) 10 (G), 0 (PK), 0 (Own), 10 (total) 8 CHANGCHUN YATAI FC (CHN) 10 (G), 0 (PK), 0 (Own), 10 (total) 9 GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) 9 (G), 1 (PK), 0 (Own), 10 (total) 10 AL ITTIHAD (KSA) 9 (G), 0 (PK), 0 (Own), 9 (total)

Goals conceded No. Team P Conceded 1 (IDN) 5 29 2 AL AHLI (UAE) 5 14 3 AL JAZIRA (UAE) 5 13 4 MES KERMAN (IRN) 5 12 5 SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES FC (SIN) 5 10 6 AL WAHDA (UAE) 5 9 7 AL GHARAFA (QAT) 5 9 8 SHANDONG LUNENG FC (CHN) 5 8 9 SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) 5 8 10 PAKHTAKOR (UZB) 5 8

Average Goals scored No. Team P Average Score 1 JEONBUK MOTORS (KOR) 5 3.2 2 KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) 5 2.4 3 AL AHLI (KSA) 5 2.2 4 MES KERMAN (IRN) 5 2 5 GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) 5 2 6 CHANGCHUN YATAI FC (CHN) 5 2 7 AL SADD (QAT) 5 2 8 AL HILAL (KSA) 5 2 9 AL GHARAFA (QAT) 5 2 10 AL ITTIHAD (KSA) 5 1.8

Disciplinary Table No. Team P Y R 1 BLUEWINGS (KOR) 5 3 0 2 JIANYE (CHN) 5 4 0 3 PERSIPURA JAYAPURA (IDN) 5 4 0 4 SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) 5 5 1 5 CHANGCHUN YATAI FC (CHN) 5 6 0 6 GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) 5 6 0 7 KASHIMA ANTLERS (JPN) 5 6 0 8 POHANG STEELERS (KOR) 5 6 0 9 AL HILAL (KSA) 5 7 0 10 AL AHLI (UAE) 5 8 0

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Statistics by Players Top Scorers No. Name Team Goals 1 LEANDRO AL SADD (QAT) 5 2 JOSE MOTA SUWON BLUEWINGS (KOR) 5 3 CLEMERSON DE ARAUJO AL GHARAFA (QAT) 4 4 ESTEGHLAL (IRN) 4 5 FLAVIO AL SHABAB (KSA) 4 6 SHOKI HIRAI GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) 4 7 VICTOR AL AHLI (KSA) 4 8 YASSER AL QAHTANI AL HILAL (KSA) 4 9 ABDELMALIK ZIAYA AL ITTIHAD (KSA) 3 10 ODIL AHMEDOV PAKHTAKOR (UZB) 3

Fastest Goals No. Name Team Time 1 MIRGHANI AL ZAIN AL GHARAFA (QAT) 2 2 VICTOR AL AHLI (KSA) 2 3 AL AIN (UAE) 2 4 JONG TAE-SE (JPN) 3 5 CHRISTIAN WILHELMSSON AL HILAL (KSA) 3 6 BUNYODKOR (UZB) 3 7 HENAN JIANYE (CHN) 4 8 NO BYUNG-JUN POHANG STEELERS (KOR) 5 9 SHOKI HIRAI GAMBA OSAKA (JPN) 6 10 AL SADD (QAT) 7

Red Cards No. Name Team Red Cards 1 SINISA RADANOVIC SHANDONG LUNENG FC (CHN) 1 2 ILIAN STOYANOV SANFRECCE HIROSHIMA (JPN) 1 3 TAISUKE AKIYOSHI SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES FC (SIN) 1 4 IVAN LOVRIC SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES FC (SIN) 1 5 SASA OGNENOVSKI SEONGNAM ILHWA FC (KOR) 1 6 ZHANG YONGHAI GUOAN (CHN) 1 7 BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) 1 8 LEIGH BROXHAM MELBOURNE VICTORY (AUS) 1 9 JONG TAE-SE KAWASAKI FRONTALE (JPN) 1 10 EMERSON AL AIN (UAE) 1

Yellow Cards Yellow No. Name Team Cards 1 JORGE VALDIVIA AL AIN (UAE) 4 2 IVAN LOVRIC SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES FC (SIN) 3 3 TAISUKE AKIYOSHI SINGAPORE ARMED FORCES FC (SIN) 3 4 HOSSEIN KAZEMI ESTEGHLAL (IRN) 3 5 BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) 3 6 ABDULMALEK AL KHAIBRI AL SHABAB (KSA) 3 7 YAN XIANGCHUANG BEIJING GUOAN (CHN) 3 8 ABDULSALAM JUMAA AL JAZIRA (UAE) 3 9 SASA OGNENOVSKI SEONGNAM ILHWA FC (KOR) 3 10 FERNANDO NELO AL WAHDA (UAE) 3 * Include first and second yellow card.

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Domestic results & standings

Adelaide United

Most recent games Comp. Date Opponent Res. League 12/02/10 Newcastle Jets (A) 2-1 Final game of regular season League 06/02/10 Brisbane Roar (H) 2-0 League 30/01/10 Wellington Phoenix (A) 0-1 League 23/01/10 Melbourne Victory (A) 0-2 League 19/01/10 Perth Glory (H) 2-3

A-League – final standings 2009/10 regular season (top five) Pos. Club Pld W D L GF GA Pts 1 Sydney FC 27 15 3 9 35 23 48 2 Melbourne Victory 27 14 5 8 47 32 47 3 Gold Coast United 27 13 5 9 39 35 44 4 Wellington Phoenix 27 10 10 7 37 29 40 5 Perth Glory 27 11 6 10 40 34 39 - 10 Adelaide United 27 7 8 12 24 33 29

Pohang Steelers

Most recent games Comp. Date Opponent Res. League 24/04/10 Daejon Citizen (H) 0-1 FA Cup 21/04/10 Chungjun (H) 5-0 League 18/04/10 Incheon United (A) 0-4 League 09/04/10 Jeonbuk Motors (H) 3-3 League 03/04/10 Gyeongnam (A) 0-3

K-League – current standings (top five)

Pos. Clubs Pld W D L GF GA Pts 1 Gyeongnam 9 6 2 1 15 7 20 2 Ulsan Motors 9 6 1 2 12 11 19 3 FC Seoul 8 6 0 2 18 7 18 4 Jeju United 9 4 4 1 11 7 16 5 Seongnam Ilhwa 8 4 3 1 17 6 15 - 10 Pohang Steelers 8 2 2 4 11 14 8

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima

Most recent games Comp. Date Opponent Res. League 24/04/10 (A) 2-2 League 21/04/10 Nagoya Grampus (H) 1-0 League 18/04/10 Kashima Antlers (A) 0-0 League 10/04/10 Kawasaki Frontale (H) 0-3 League 03/04/10 (A) 0-1

J.League – current standings (top five)

Pos. Clubs Pld W D L GF GA Pts 1 Shimizu S-Pulse 8 5 3 0 15 5 18 2 Nagoya Grampus 8 5 1 2 12 6 16 3 Urawa Reds 8 5 1 2 12 7 16 4 Kawasaki Frontale 8 5 1 2 13 11 16 5 Kashima Antlers 8 4 3 1 12 6 15 - 6 Sanfrecce Hiroshima 8 3 3 2 9 9 12

Shandong Luneng

Most recent games Comp. Date Opponent Res. League 22/04/10 Liaoning Hongyun (H) 2-0 League 18/04/10 Dalian Shide (A) 2-2 League 09/04/10 Lifan (H) 3-0 League 04/04/10 Tianjin Teda (A) 1-1 League 27/03/10 Hangzhou Lucheng (H) 4-2

China Super League – current standings (top five)

Pos. Club Pld W D L GF GA Pts 1 Shandong Luneng 5 3 2 0 12 5 11 2 Beijing Guoan 5 3 1 1 6 3 10 3 Shenzhen Ruby 5 3 1 1 7 5 10 4 Shanghai Shenhua 5 3 0 2 7 6 9 5 Liaoning Hongyun 5 2 2 1 7 6 8

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

Competition facts

 The first Asian club competition – the Asian Club Championship – began in 1967 with Hapoel of defeating Selangor of 2-1 in the final in .  The competition was discontinued in 1972 but was revived as an annual tournament in 1986 when Korean side Daewoo Royals beat Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia 3-1 in the final in Jeddah.  In 2002, the Asian Club Championship was discontinued and merged with the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup, a tournament that began in 1990, to form the AFC Champions League.  The inaugural tournament in 2002/03 took over a year to complete due to the SARS epidemic, which caused the postponement of one of the semi-finals in early 2003. Al Ain beat BEC Tero Sasana of 2-1 in the final to become the first club from the United Arab to win an Asian continental club title.  Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia are the only team to win two AFC Champions League titles. They claimed the 2004 crown after a 6-3 aggregate victory against Seongnam Chunma of Korea Republic and retained the title with a 5-3 aggregate victory against Al Ain the following year.  Jeonbuk Motors of Korea Republic were crowned champions of Asia in 2006 despite having never previously won their domestic league title.  Urawa Reds of Japan took the title the following year after winning their maiden league championship a year earlier. Urawa did not lose a single game on the run to their title, winning five games and drawing the other seven.  Gamba Osaka were also unbeaten when they claimed the AFC Champions League title in 2008. The Japanese side won nine of their 12 games including all six away matches, and thumped Adelaide United of Australia 5-0 on aggregate in the final.  Gamba also enjoyed a record 19-match unbeaten run in the competition that was ended by a 1-2 defeat to FC Seoul in their final match of the group stage last year.  Pohang Steelers became the first team to win both the AFC Champions League and Asian Club Championship with their 2-1 win over Al Ittihad in last year’s final. They won back-to-back Asian Club Championships in 1997 and 1998 and are the only side to be crowned Asian club champions on three occasions.

Honour list

AFC Champions League Year Winners Runners-up Score 2009 Pohang Steelers (KOR) Al Ittihad (KSA) 2-1 2008 Gamba Osaka (JPN) Adelaide United (AUS) 5-0 (agg) 2007 Urawa Reds (JPN) Sepahan (IRN) 3-1 (agg) 2006 Jeonbuk Motors (KOR) Al Karama (SYR) 3-2 (agg) 2005 Al Ittihad (KSA) Al Ain (UAE) 5-3 (agg)

Group H – Matchday 6

Adelaide United (AUS) vs Shandong Luneng (CHN) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:30 local time

Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN) vs Pohang Steelers (KOR) Hiroshima Big Arch, Hiroshima Tuesday, 27 April 2010, 19:00 local time

2004 Al Ittihad (KSA) Seongnam Ilhwa (KOR) 6-3 (agg) 2002/03 Al Ain (UAE) BEC Tero Sasana (THA) 2-1 (agg)

Asian Football Confederation information

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is the governing body of the football in Asia, including Australia with a total of 46 members.

The organisation was founded on 8 May 1954 in Manila, Philippines and is one of FIFA’s six continental confederations. The headquarters is at AFC House in Bukit Jalil in , Malaysia and the current president is of Qatar, who succeeded Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah of Malaysia in 2002.

The AFC organised the first continental championship – the Asian Cup – in 1956, and introduced the first continental club competition – the Asian Club Championship in 1967.

In 1990, the AFC introduced a new competition for the continent’s cup winners – the Asian Cup Winners’ Cup. In 1995, the winners of the Asian Club Championship and Asian Cup Winners’ Cup began to meet annually in the Asian Super Cup.

In 2002, however, all three club competitions were merged into the AFC Champions League, which featured domestic league and cup winners from throughout Asia. The inaugural tournament featured more than 40 teams but the competition format was streamlined for the second edition in 2004, which had the defending champions and 28 other teams from 14 countries.

The competition was revamped again in 2009 with 32 teams competing in eight groups. The final was also changed from a two-legged affair to a one-game championship match played at a neutral venue.