SAITAMA, Japan — China's Guangzhou Evergrande scrambled into the AFC Champions League last 16 Wednesday despite a 3-2 loss to Urawa Red Diamonds in which it finished with 10 men and had coach Marcello Lippi sent to the stands. In Doha, Brazilian striker Wagner Rebeiro scored a hat trick as El Jaish booked its place in the knockout phase with a 3-0 win over Saudi Arabia's Al-Shabab. Al-Shabab's performance was lackluster, with the Saudis rarely threatening. The Saudi side had already secured its spot in the next phase, while El Jaish's win coupled with Tractorsazi's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Al-Jazira from the UAE means the Qatari club cannot be overtaken. That leaves both clubs fighting it out for top spot with one round of matches to go, with Al-Shabab still in pole position in Group A, two points ahead of El Jaish. In a dramatic encounter in Saitama, Japan's Urawa kept its title hopes alive heading into next week's final group games, and also flirted with the three-goal victory margin which would have kept Guangzhou's progression on hold. Lippi, who led Italy to World Cup glory in 2006 and wants to make Guangzhou China's first Asian champions in 23 years, let his frustrations show and was ordered from the touchline for kicking a water bottle as his team went 3-1 down. A controversial late effort from Muriqui — in which the referee missed a linesman's flag for offside — eased Guangzhou's worries, although it was also hit by a stoppage-time red card against defender Zhang Linpeng. The evening's events could still have consequences for Guangzhou, with Zhang and Lippi both now facing bans for next week's game with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors as they aim to hang on to top spot in Group F and gain an easier last 16 draw. Lippi did not appear at the post-match press conference but was replaced by assistant coach Massimiliano Maddaloni, who called it a “reasonable result”. Urawa manager Mihailo Petrovic said his team richly deserved their win. “My players fought hard from the beginning trying to score goals. It was a game we deserved to win,” Petrovic said. In the other Group F game, former Asian champions Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors beat Thailand's Muangthong United 2-0 but were prevented from reaching the knockout phase by Urawa's surprise win. The 2006 winners, now one point behind Urawa in third spot — with only the top two going through — face the difficult task of playing leaders Guangzhou in next week's final group game, while Urawa faces bottom club Muangthong. Meanwhile in Group E, Thailand's Buriram United was just seconds from a victory which would have put it into the knock-out before Japanese outfit Vegalta Sendai snatched a 1-1 draw in the 93rd minute. Buriram's Osmar Barba had glanced in a free kick in the 53rd minute and Theerathon Bunmathan desperately hit the bar near the end but they paid for some wasteful finishing when Takayuki Nakahara's neat volley claimed a point for Sendai. In the same group, K-League champion FC Seoul beat China's Jiangsu Sainty 2-0 to safely reach the two-legged round of 16. In another match, Al-Shabab Al-Arabi of the UAE beat Lekhwiya of Qatar 3-1 in Group B. On Tuesday, Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia moved three points clear of Al-Ain in the race for the other knockout place in Group D with a 2-0 victory over the United Arab Emirates side. Salem Al-Dawsari gave the hosts a perfect start when he scored four minutes into the match and Wesley capped a fine move that extended its advantage in the 24th. — Agencies
