BEIJING SET TO BREAK BRISBANE IN ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Dejan Damjanovic warms up alongside Batalla for Beijing

Beijing Guoan go into their clash with Brisbane Roar as virtually qualified for the Asian Champions League Knockout Stage, but that won't stop them taking three points against the Aussie club. 

The home team will as always be cheered on by around 40,000 Beijing-ites, and though they are currently experiencing a mini funk (drawn last 3 matches), they're still undefeated in their last 21 matches. 

Meanwhile, Brisbane will be fighting for their Asian Champions League lives. Of most concern for the Australians is their casualty list. Influential centre back Luke Devere is out, Shane Stefanutto is out, and along with that, Jade North will be nursing a dodgy groin, if he makes the field. Had it not been for this, I would have said Brisbane were good value. 

The Roar have definitely placed some importance on this fixture, evidenced by their decision to rest a throng of players for last Saturday's Melbourne Victory clash. Those missing in action included: Broich, McKay, Brattan, Borello and 'the slippery fish' Henrique. 

Young defender Daniel Bowles who recently returned from injury described the dressing room, "All the boys are buzzing and we will be going out there and giving it our all." Brisbane certainly have plenty of motivation, as their previous appearances in the competition have yielded little, but no one wants to go into a big match with an understrength back four. 

A patched up Brisbane did a commendable job against Muscat's Melbourne on Saturday, but being tested against unfamiliar opponents should prove too much. Not only will Brisbane face some of China's best in Yu, Dabao and Song, Boxuan, they'll also face off against classy Montenegrin Dejan Damjanovic and midfielder Pablo Batalla.

On a freezing cold night in Saitama two weeks ago Beijing Guoan looked anything but champions, still they managed to grind out a draw against Urawa. On Tuesday night, at home, at the Workers Stadium, Beijing will be up for it.

The green team have been looking on jealously for the last four years as Chinese rivals, Guangzhou Evergrande have taken all before them. This year could be the year that Beijing stamps their mark on continental football.

ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL, SEOULED OUT

We're now into the second leg of the Asian Champions League semi-final. On the west side of the draw, Al Hilal have secured their final berth (4-2 agg.), but on the east side it's all to play for. Last season's beaten finalists FC Seoul face Western Sydney Wanderers in Parramatta, after a scoreless draw in the first leg in Seoul.

Cha Du-ri challenged by Labinot Haliti

Undefeated in their last 13 matches FC Seoul sit 5th in the K-League Classic, and are eager to return to the Asian Champions League Final. The team from the capital have some interesting stats heading into tonight's semi-final. In their last 13 matches (including all competitions) they have conceded just 6 goals and scored 18 goals. Impressive. But it's important to note that FC Seoul scored 5 goals in one match against Incheon back on the 16th August. So apart from a rare day when it all came together, FC Seoul are averaging around one goal a game. That said, manager Choi, Yong Soo was adamant the first goal would be vital and assured Korean fans saying, "We have a lot of strategies to deal with them so we are prepared."

With the Wanderers still 9 days from the kick off of the domestic season, it's hard to get a line of form for them. In the lead up to their shock two-leg victory over Guangzhou Evergrande, Wanderers had stumbled over non league Canberra 1-0 in a friendly, before being knocked out of Australia's FFA Cup by second tier club Adelaide City.

Somehow, three weeks after their giant killing effort against Guangzhou, Wanderers slogged out a 0-0 draw in Seoul, minus Tomi Juric, Brendan Santalab, Shannon Cole and Matthew Spiranovic. They'll be without Spiranovic again in the semi, but importantly goalscorers Juric and Santalab are back. This should give Wests the edge.

In addition to that FC Seoul made their incredible run to the ACL Final last year with the aid of Dejan Damjanovic. But big Dejan is no longer in Korea, he is now plying his trade alongside his former FC Seoul teammate Ha, Dae-sung at Beijing Guoan.

So on the basis that FC Seoul are unlikely to spring new tactics in a foreign land, I see Wanderers coming away victors. The home team has the cutting edge of rookie Socceroo Tomi Juric, and at some stage his influence should prove the difference. Though midfielder FC Seoul's Molina proved hard to handle in his 45 minutes in the first leg, he is no Dejan Damjanovic, and the player has received limited game time all season. Wanderers are a happy, hard working and cohesive unit. FC Seoul are not.

CAN GUANGZHOU BE THE BEST FOREVER AGAIN?

Guangzhou celebrate Asian Champions League glory 2013.

Guangzhou Evergrande have won the last three Chinese Super League titles, along with a Chinese FA Cup in 2012, and last year's Asian Champions League crown. In his first full season as manager Marcello Lippi steered the team to the league title by a mere 18 points. But with a number of regular starters leaving the club this season, and the capture of Dejan Damjanovic by Beijing Guoan, suddenly the tigers of the south have some competition.

Beijing Guoan now trail the champions by just four points and importantly the team from the capital have a game in hand. Since returning from the summer break Beijing have captured seven of a possible twelve points. Not exactly a competition winning statistic, but the points surrendered were away from home and early in the Damjanovic era. And while Beijing's 3-0 win over Shanghai last weekend was a little flattering the green team have only one competition to focus on, unlike Guangzhou Evergrande.

With new co owners Alibaba (50% stake), Guangzhou have no problems when it comes to player recruitment, however, player retention is a problem. In 2014 Asia's number one team has had to deal with the exit of Dario Conca (off season), and club record goal scorer Muriqui (summer break). To expect Guangzhou to be as good a team as they were last year when the aforementioned were at their peak, is asking a lot. Yes, the tigers have splashed out on Alessandro Diamanti, and added another Italian Alberto Gilardino, but for all their experience it's rare that players arrive and blend with their new teammates immediately. Former Dalian Aerbin defender Li, Xuepeng is one who hasn't blended seamlessly with his new teammates. His recent arrival has coincided with the club conceding five goals in their last two matches.

For Guangzhou Evergrande to continue their dominance they'll be expected to win the Chinese Super League and the Asian Champions League. Their next assignment in the ACL (20th August) is Western Sydney Wanderers. Along with the nine hour flight, Wanderers should prove to be a stubborn opponent. Domestically Guangzhou's opponents can benefit no matter what the outcome of the two legged ACL quarter final. If they win, Guangzhou will be caught up in continental travel and a busy playing schedule. If they lose, the bubble around the team/club may finally burst.

These are interesting times for Guangzhou and if they're to 'be the best forever' in 2014, as their slogan says, it will take some quick adapting from their most recent arrivals.

EMBARRASSING HIROSHIMA PROOF OF J-LEAGUE'S PROBLEMS

Last week's tawdry display from Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the ACL was proof of the problems the J-League has with maintaining its status as the premier soccer competition in Asia. Hiroshima were below, below par. They were tepid! And no, I'm not just saying that because I did my dough on the Purple Archers. Their performance highlights the waning standards of the J-League: as it is pilfered of it's best talent by European clubs, can't match China's ability to attract quality foreigners, and is detrimentally affected by the closeness of it's own competition.

Hiroshima have long been a bugbear of mine. Back to back champions of the J-League, they've gotten much mileage out of playing a rather drab brand of soccer. I'm not the only one who believes this, as Chris Collins of World Football Weekly recently twat of Hiroshima, "Not sure what cattenaccio is in Japanese but they've mastered it." (March 1st). After the nine hour flight to Australia we heard stories of jetlag, but Hiroshima managed to go ahead in the 21st minute - dominating possession. However, when Central Coast Mariners fought back and took the lead, Hiroshima were lost. Unable to employ their usual 'sit and hit' tactics, Moriyasu's men had to chase the game, but found the out of form Mariners too tough to break down. Yes, Hisato Sato and 34 year old midfielder Mihael Mikic were absent, but the Mariners have a line-up that has been mined of talent, and Hiroshima should have been able to get the job done if the J-League is what it's cracked up to be.

What's stifling the J-League can't be narrowed down to one issue, but one pertinent problem is the closeness of it's own competition. J-League champions of the last five years have lost 8 matches or more out of 34 league matches. That means, virtually every fourth match, the number one team in the J-League will lose. Comparing that with leagues around the world certainly paints a poor picture of the quality of Japanese champions. Go to England's Premier League and the percentage there for the last two seasons is 1 in every 7.6 matches, in Germany it has been 1 in every 34 matches (2012/13) and 1 in every 11.3 matches in 2011/12, while in Spain it's every 19th match. In China, the losing percentage definitely indicates a true champion also, 2013 it was 1 in every 30 matches while in 2012 it was 1 in every 5. People will always debate that 'one sided leagues' or two sided leagues such as Spain's are unappealing, and I'd rather the J-League doesn't get to that extreme, but in recent years the competition's champions have merely been default, or clayton's champions.

Along with default champions Japanese players are now shining brightly on European radars. In recent times the J-League has simply been pilfered of promising talent to the point that Japanese authorities are considering putting promising young footballers on the endangered species list. Yes, the nostalgic value of playing in Europe pervades the thoughts of young football professionals and will for a long time into the future, but the recent trend has even seen the mid 20s reliable professional disappearing also. European clubs are rubbing their hands and damaging the league by selling the dream to the many technically skilled Japanese. Mu Kanazaki is a classic example. The former Nagoya Grampus wing-man was hardly the J-League's super star but he bought into the European dream and his club has lost a great professional. Replacing this kind of contributor is not easy.

And now China is rising. Foreign influence in Chinese soccer is at an all time high, and with names like Marcello Lippi and Sven Goran Eriksson in managerial roles, Chinese youngsters should only stand to benefit. What's more there is no shortage of money being splashed around in China. In fact Japanese players are probably the only nationality in Asia not flocking to the country for the riches on offer. This year we saw Evergrande purchase, Alessandro Diamanti, Jiangsu Sainty poached Dejan Damjanovic from FC Seoul, and Vagner Love moved from CSKA Moscow to Shandong Luneng. Shandong Luneng are currently topping their group in the ACL, and this is just another sign that the balance of power on the continent is shifting.

Tonight Kawasaki Frontale face Western Sydney Wanderers in Parramatta. The match comes after Yokohama F.Marinos were defeated by Melbourne Victory last night partly due to Shunsuke Nakamura not boarding the flight to Australia. For Kawasaki Frontale's sake I hope his namesake Kengo makes the trip as the J-League is on notice.