The Asian Champions League groups were released today to much excitement, as this is a sign we’re one step closer to the 2013 football season. As any football fan knows, in the off-season, you have to take what you can get, and the group draw as well as the schedule release means that fans can get excited and start making travel plans. The AFC website dissed the Chinese teams, misspelling Guizhou and not even including Jiangsu in their respective group, but have since corrected these mistakes. Here are the East Asia groups:
Group E
FC Seoul (KOR)
Brisbane Roar (AUS) or Buriram United (THA)
Vegalta Sendai (JPN)
Jiangsu Sainty (CHN)
Debutants Jiangsu get stuck with the Korean champs, the Thai or Aussie cup winners, and the J-League runners up. If it turns out to be Brisbane, it will be a nightmare for the CSL runners up, a tough group and a long road trip to Australia. Many CSL watchers don’t have high hopes for the Nanjing side in 2013, this draw isn’t going to help.
Group F
Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN)
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR)
SCG Muangthong United (THA)
Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN)
Last year Evergrande were stuck in the “group of death”, this year it doesn’t get a whole lot easier dealing with Jeonbuk, the most experienced ACL side in East Asia, and Muangthong, the Thai champs. Add in solid J-League side Urawa and you have a tough group, but one that the Cantonese giants should expect to get out of.
Group G
Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN)
Beijing Guoan (CHN)
Pohang Steelers (KOR)
Bunyodkor (UZB)
Everyone’s always looking for a “group of death” and if one group deserves that label, its probably this one. Unfortunately (at least it is to me), this is the group that Guoan’s stuck in. J-League champs Sanfrecce are everyone’s favorite, but Pohang is solid themselves, having won the Korean cup (and also qualifying by finishing 3rd in the league). Of course, nobody’s looking forward to visiting Tashkent and going head-to-head against 2012 semifinalists Bunyodkor. I’m rarely an optimist when it comes to Guoan, but this group seriously scares me.
Group H
Central Coast Mariners (AUS)
Knockout Cup Champions (JPN)
Guizhou Renhe (CHN)
Suwon Bluewings (KOR)
Now to be in Guizhou’s position, that would be nice. True, they have the Aussie champs Central Coast, but if that away trip fell in the right spot in the schedule, it wouldn’t be so bad. They’ll have to wait to see who the Japanese Emperor’s Cup winner is, but it should be a manageable opponent. Plus, the Korean side Suwon, is only in because Pohang won the Korean cup. Depending on what Guizhou does in the offseason, I’d have high hopes for them to perform well.
Be sure to share what you think of your favorite side’s draw today? Which, if any, Chinese sides will go through?
by bcheng
Category: AFC Champions League, Beijing Guoan, Beijing Renhe, Guangzhou Evergrande, Jiangsu Suning
Tags: Guizhou Renhe
Well,we both got our wishes. You get Hiroshima and we get perhaps the biggest club in the continent, Urawa Reds. Really looking forward to the Reds bringing their support to GZ.
I’m caught in a dilemna where to sit/who to support.
As for Hiroshima, it’s a great city. Young, vibrant and there’s also the bomb museum, dome and bridge. I also recommend you spend a couple of days on the island of Miyajima just off the coast. Stunning.
Very cool. Guoan plays Hiroshima away on the final matchday, which means they’ll probably already be eliminated, but on the positive side, its at the same time as the May holiday, so will be easy to do.
Nasty draw for Sainty there. Playing on two fronts will be a heck of a test for them this season.
No Group are easy … It’s time to prove China league quality in asian . Let take the home advantage when playing in China