Suwon, Guangzhou play to 2-2 draw at AFC Champions League

 South Korean outfit Suwon Samsung Bluewings played to a 2-2 draw with Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande at the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League on Wednesday.

   Suwon went ahead with goals from Brazilian forwards Johnathan and Santos, but Guangzhou's Alan Carvalho saved the visitors from a defeat at the rain-soaked Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, some 45 kilometers south of Seoul.

  The K League Classic club now has two draws in Group G, where they are also paired with the Kawasaki Frontale of Japan and Eastern SC of Hong Kong. Suwon had a 1-1 draw against Kawasaki on the road in their AFC Champions League (ACL) group opener last week.

   Suwon opened the scoring in the 15th minute, when Santos scored on a header off team captain Yeom Ki-hun's corner kick. Guangzhou, the ACL winners in 2013 and 2015, leveled the score in the 24th.

Ricardo Goulart fired a right-footed strike from just outside the box after receiving a headed pass from Liao Lisheng.

   Suwon's Johnathan got into his rhythm in the 31st as he cut inside from the left flank and got a strike from outside the box. A minute later, he gave the lead back to Suwon as his right-footed strike off a beautifully-placed corner kick from Yeom found the net.

   Johnathan almost scored his second goal in the 39th, but his header off Kim Min-woo's cross hit the crossbar.

   Guangzhou, led by FIFA World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, produced some scoring opportunities early in the second half. Headers from Gao Lin and Alan, however, were saved by Suwon goalkeeper Shin Hwa-yong.

   In the 58th, Suwon's Yeom curled a free kick over the wall, only to be tipped away by Guangzhou goalkeeper Zeng Cheng for a corner kick.

   After several attempts, Guangzhou finally got their equalizer in the 81st as Alan's right-footed shot from inside the box found the top right corner of the net.

   Three minutes of extra time were awarded,  and Guangzhou almost stunned the hosts when Goulart fired a free kick in the extra time. Yet Shin again denied his attempt.

   Suwon will next face Eastern SC at Mongkok Stadium in Hong Kong on March 14.  (Yonhap)

   Elsewhere, another South Korean club Jeju United shocked Gamba Osaka in their Group H contest at Suita City Football Stadium in Osaka, Japan, with a 4-1 victory.

   Jeju, No. 3 in the domestic league last year, took the lead first in the 44th, thanks to an own goal by Gamba's veteran midfielder Yasuhito Endo. The visitors then doubled the lead in the first half extra time when Lee Chang-min's right footed shot from outside the box found the net.

   Jeju's Brazilian striker Marcelo Toscano made it 3-0 in the 51st with a close-range effort. Lee then grabbed a brace in the 72nd to round off the scoring for Jeju.

   Gamba earned their consolation goal in the 89th, when Ademilson converted a penalty kick.

   This is Jeju's first win in Group H. They suffered a 1-0 defeat to Jiangsu Suning FC of China at home last week.

   Jeju's next match is against Adelaide United at Hindmarsh

Stadium in Adelaide, Australia, on March 15.  

   Suwon and Jeju are two of the four South Korean teams at the ACL this year. FC Seoul and Ulsan Hyundai had their ACL action on Tuesday.

   Seoul are third in Group F with two losses, while Ulsan are third in Group E with one win and one loss. (Yonhap)