DUBAI — Champion Guangzhou Evergrande seized control of its AFC Champions League group with a 3-1 win over Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors Tuesday, as Uruguay star Diego Forlan scored his first goal for Cerezo Osaka. A first-half double from Guangzhou striker Gao Lin and a third from Liao Lisheng, either side of Lee Dong-gook's solo effort, settled a flowing game and lifted the Chinese champion three points clear in Group G. Marcello Lippi's men are now in familiar territory halfway through the group stage as they bid to become only the second team to successfully defend the AFC title, under their illustrious and newly re-signed manager. In Doha, Qatari outfit Lekhwiya blanked Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad 2-0. Goals either side of the break helped the host to comfortable win. Sebastian Soria netted the first in the 22nd minute, while Nam Tae-hee doubled the lead from the spot a minute before time. Iranian side Esteghlal Tehran played out a 2-2 draw against UAE's Al-Jazira at home. Elsewhere, Uruguay international Forlan opened his account for Japan's Cerezo Osaka in its 4-0 win over Thai champion Buriram United, and Melbourne Victory got the first win of its campaign. In the clash between the top two teams in Group G, Gao was only handed a spot in the Guangzhou starting lineup after Muriqui, last season's top-scorer in the competition, was injured in the pre-match warm-up. And the China international took full advantage, opening the scoring at the Guangzhou Tianhe Stadium after 18 minutes with a close-range finish before deftly heading his side 2-0 ahead two minutes later. Jeonbuk, which has met Guangzhou in the group stage in each of the past three seasons, pulled a goal back before half-time through skipper Lee Dong-gook, who pounced on the rebound after his own header hit the post. But the host restored its two-goal cushion just after the hour-mark when Liao Lisheng flicked home a cross by influential Italy midfielder Alessandro Diamanti to make it 3-1. Earlier, Melbourne Victory secured its first win in Group G thanks to a ninth-minute goal from New Zealand striker Kosta Barabarouses which proved enough to upset Japan's Yokohama F. Marinos 1-0. In Group E, Forlan netted his first goal in five domestic and Asian games for new club Cerezo Osaka to round off a straightforward win for the home side against Buriram. Yoichiro Kakitani grabbed his third goal of the tournament after only four minutes and Takumi Minamino struck twice before Forlan, ex-Manchester United and Atletico Madrid, scored in stoppage time. Chinese side Shandong Luneng squandered an opportunity to open up a three-point lead after it allowed 10-man Pohang Steelers to battle back from two goals down for a 2-2 draw in South Korea. The match began disastrously for the home side, which had Shin Kwang-hoon sent off for deliberate handball and then saw Vagner Love tuck away the resulting penalty after 13 minutes. Another handball 10 minutes later saw Shandong awarded another penalty and Love once again converted for his fourth goal of the tournament. But Pohang fought back with captain Kim Tae-su reducing the deficit in the 32nd minute before Kim Seung-dae leveled the scores with 13 minutes remaining. Both sides now have five points, one more than Cerezo. Hull City accuses FA of prejudice Hull City accused the Football Association of prejudice Tuesday after the English soccer body said its membership committee had advised it to reject the club's request to change their name to Hull Tigers. “We feel we have been prejudiced right from the outset,” the Premier League club said in a statement expressing disappointment at the timing of the FA's announcement Monday. “The FA introduced a new policy to handle our application on the back of consultations with the City Till We Die group, and we therefore feel that our application was already pre-judged,” it added. “This feeling has been reinforced with yesterday's announcement, as the club feels this will further prejudice the forthcoming ballot of season pass holders.” — Agencies
