MATCH PRESS KIT 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 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 Australia and defending champions Pohang Steelers of Korea 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 China knowing if they match Pohang’s result against Sanfrecce Hiroshima 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 Japan 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 Kashima Antlers 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 Chinese Super League 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 Osaka in the 2008 final, Adelaide have won six of their last seven AFC Champions League home games at Hindmarsh Stadium. Defender Daniel Mullen 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 Iain Fyfe 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 season, 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 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 Dalian Shide before handing Liaoning 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 Gamba Osaka and Tokyo Verdy in 2006. Defender Ryota Moriwaki 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 Niigata sandwiched a 1-0 win over Nagoya Grampus 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 SERGIO VAN DIJK 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 TRAVIS DODD 06 Jan, 1980 AUS 419 1 1 14 DF SCOTT JAMIESON 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 MICHAEL MARRONE 27 Jan, 1987 AUS 423 18 MF FABIAN BARBIERO 02 May, 1984 AUS 48 19 FW MATHEW LECKIE 04 Feb, 1991 AUS 357 2 1 20 GK MARK BIRIGHITTI 17 Apr, 1991 AUS 21 DF MARK RUDAN 27 Aug, 1975 AUS 22 DF DANE MILOVANOVIC 02 Dec, 1989 AUS 23 MF JOSEPH COSTA 17 Jul, 1992 AUS 24 MF MARCOS FLORES 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