Shabab reached the knockout phase Tuesday of the Asian Champions League following a 1-0 win over host Zobahan of Iran in their Group D match. Striker Faisal Al-Sultan scored the winning goal for Shabab 11 minutes after the break. The Iranian side had already secured qualification to the next stage and the coach played its second-string squad to avoid injuries. Al-Ittihad, meanwhile, reinforced its qualification following a 1-1 draw against visitor Bunyodkor of Uzbekistan in the last round of Group C match at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium also Tuesday. Striker Trifunovic Milos put the visitors in the lead in the 14th minute before Portuguese midfielder of Ittihad Nuno Assis Lopes leveled the score 16 minutes before the break. Elsewhere ACL debutant Cerezo Osaka smashed four unanswered goals past Chinese outfit Shandong Luneng to reach the knock-out phase, joining quake-hit Kashima Antlers in the last 16. Earlier, 2006 champion Jeonbuk Motors confirmed its supremacy in Group G with a 6-0 rout of minnow Arema Indonesia, which depart the competition with just one point from six games and a goal difference of minus 14. And on a night of goals, South Korea's Suwon Bluewings beat bottom-placed Shanghai Shenhua 3-0 to secure top spot in Group H and crucial home advantage for this month's one-off round of 16 matches. J-League side Cerezo needed only to avoid defeat against Group G rival Shandong but nerves in the Nagai Stadium were not settled until the 39th minute, when Brazilian forward Rodrigo Pimpao Vianna put the home side ahead. It was the cue for a second-half demolition job as Inui Takashi, Kiyotake Hiroshi and finally Kurata Shu put the game past Shandong, confirming Cerezo's participation in the next round at the first time of asking. Meanwhile, Kashima, playing in its temporary home of Tokyo's National Stadium, came from a goal down to beat Sydney FC 2-1 and finish second in Group H behind Suwon, after already securing qualification last week. In Jeonju, Croatian Kruno Lovrek scored in the first minute and again in first-half injury time, and then completed his hat trick on the hour as Jeonbuk Motors roared past hapless Arema. Kim Dong-Chan, Jeong Shung-hoon and Kang Seung-jo were also on the score-sheet as the dominant South Koreans finished the group stage with 15 out of a possible 18 points. In East Asia's final match, Suwon's Ha Tae-goon struck either side of half-time before Sin Se-gye rounded off the scoring on 89 minutes, leaving host Shanghai rock-bottom in Group H. Emirates' hopes of reaching the last 16 were ended by a 2-0 defeat to Qatari side Al-Rayyan, with second-half strikes by defender Aldbulghafoor Murad and substitute Ahmed Alaa. Emirates finished third in Group D on six points, two above Al-Rayyan who picked up just their first win of the group campaign. In Group C Al-Wahda of United Arab Emirates secured a 2-0 win over Piroozi Athletic, a result which left the Iranians rooted to the bottom of the table and Al-Wahda just beyond qualification in third place. The top two teams from eight groups qualify for the last 16, before two-legged quarter and semifinals followed by a one-off final in November.
