Suwon ousted from Asian Champs League

The South Korean football team Suwon Samsung Bluewings were eliminated on Thursday from Asia’s top club competition.

The Bluewings defeated Al Sadd of Qatar 1-0 in the second leg of the semifinal at the Asian Football Confederation Champions League in Doha, but Al Sadd advanced to the final on the 2-1 advantage in the aggregate score.

In the first leg of their semifinal last week, Al Sadd beat Suwon 2-0 in South Korea. The K-League team needed to win by at least 3-1 in Doha for an outright victory, or to finish regulation leading 2-0 to set up extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shootout.

At Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium, Oh Jang-eun got Suwon on board just six minutes into the match. But the Bluewings were unable to capitalize on later chances, as Al Sadd, knowing it could still advance with a one-goal loss, was content to sit back and play a conservative game.

Another South Korean team, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, booked their berth in the final with a 2-1 win over Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia Wednesday night. The Motors will host the final at Jeonju World Cup Stadium, about 240 kilometers south of Seoul, on Nov. 5.

The K-League has produced nine AFC champions, more than any other league in the continent, including the last two. Jeonbuk won the Asian title in 2006. 

(Yonohap News)