World Football

Japan's Urawa beat Asian Champions League holders Chonbuk

14:22 BST, Wed 26 Sep 2007
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KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Japan's Urawa Reds booked their place in the Asian Champions League semi-finals with a 2-0 victory at 10-man holders Chonbuk Motors of South Korea on Wednesday.

The J. League leaders completed a 4-1 aggregate victory at the Jeonju World Cup Stadium after last week's 2-1 win in Saitama in the first leg of their quarter-final.

Urawa, looking to become the first Japanese club to win the trophy, took a third minute lead when Tatsuya Tanaka pounced on the loose ball after goalkeeper Sung Kyung-il had spilled Robson Ponte's shot from outside the area.

Chonbuk defender Chung Kyung-ho, who had earlier been yellow-carded for dissent, was booked and then dismissed in the 22nd minute for diving by referee Ibrahim Al Ghamdi, having fallen theatrically under a challenge in the penalty area by Makoto Hasebe.

Choi Jin-cheul, Chonbuk's goalscorer in the first leg, sealed the South Korean side's fate in the 66th minute when he chested the ball into his own net from a corner.

Urawa's semi-final opponents next week will either be Syria's Al Karama or South Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa, who play their quarter-final second leg later on Wednesday.

Japanese rivals Kawasaki Frontale lost 5-4 at home on penalties to Iran's Sepahan on Wednesday after the two sides fought out a second successive 0-0 draw.

Sepahan will take on either Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal or Al Wahda from the United Arab Emirates.

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