ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW COMPLETED FOR 2016

The 2016 Asian Champions League draw has been completed though there are still many unknowns. On the East side including clubs from South Korea, Japan, China and Australia, there are some headline matches already penned in.

Asian Champions League Group Stage Draw 2016

In Group G Australia’s number one ranked team Melbourne Victory will line up against Suwon Samsung Bluewings of South Korea. Suwon finished second to a dominant Jeonbuk in the K-League but the Bluewings are one of the best supported clubs in South Korea.

In Group H reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande will travel to Sydney. The Felip Scolari managed outfit are currently preparing for the Club World Cup in Japan, but from February 2016 they’ll be busy defending their Asian Champions League title. 

Asian Champions League Group Stage Draw 2016

The Group H draw will have Sydney FC manager Graham Arnold licking his lips. Arnold has proved himself consistently successful in Australia however, his foray into J-League management was a disaster. After leaving Central Coast Mariners as a champion Arnold took up a post at Vegalta Sendai, only to walk away from the role when senior players stonewalled any new policies he looked to implement. 

Meanwhile in Group E, Jeonbuk look to have been rewarded for their total dominance in the K-League. They’ve been drawn alongside China’s FA Cup winners Jiangsu Sainty, Vietnam’s Binh Duong and a play off winner from Thailand, Myanmar or Japan. 

Though on paper Jeonbuk’s draw looks a cake walk their have been rumours of Jiangsu Sainty going on an off season spending spree, which would likely make things a little more difficult. Also in Group E, there is a strong likelihood that Japan’s Gamba Osaka will join Jeonbuk, the team that eliminated them in the 2015 competition. 

Asian Champions League Group Stage Draw 2016

As Gamba Osaka are still alive in the Emperors Cup, they’re group draw cannot be finalised. Unfortunately, the J-League has everyone in the dark as to who is their 2nd, 3rd and 4th elected teams. 

Finally in Group F there are Sanfrecce Hiroshima, FC Seoul and Buriram United. Hiroshima were recently crowned champions of Japan after winning a two legged final against Gamba. The 'purple archers' will be looking to improve upon previous efforts, as will Thailand's Buriram who crashed out after an impressive start to the Group Stage in 2015. 

Asian Champions League Group Stage Draw 2016

Australia's Adelaide United will likely play China's Shandong Luneng in a play-off for the final position in Group F.

KASHIWA VICTORIOUS IN ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP TIE

Kashiwa Reysol have wiped the floor with Vietnamese opponents Binh Duong in the second group match of the 2015 Asian Champions League. National team hopeful Masato Kudo contributed for the home team with a brace, while Aussie import Vrankovic provided an own goal to add to the embarrassment for Binh Duong.

In the first half, Reysol barely saw a clear cut chance until they struck the go ahead goal in the 43rd minute. Kudo found himself with time and space in the box as Christiano beat a couple of defenders before crossing a low ball in from the right.

After a strong showing until that point, Kudo's goal triggered an avalanche. In first half injury time Aussie expat David Vrankovic headed the ball into the wrong net. The defender had previously fallen foul to two high boots from the Kashiwa strike force. Tracking back into his own box while being shadowed, Vrankovic's miscued header will feature in his next pre match nightmare no doubt.

South Korean Kim, Chang Soo got scoring underway in the second half with the aid of a sublime through ball from midfielder Akimi Barada. The Bing Duong goalkeeper had no chance, as Kim's first touch - under pressure - opened up the goal and the former Busan defender finished with aplomb.

Kudo popped up for his second in the 67th minute when a corner was allowed to cross the face of goal. The forward was alone again, and he made the visitors hurt. At 4-nil the Binh Duong manager decided to hook Nigerian goalkeeper Esele. But things didn't get any better.

After some stock standard J-League lead up play, the ball was turned back to Otani from the left. The midfielder struck with a half volley from beyond the box to make it 5-0.

The visitors picked up a consolation goal to make it 5-1 at full time, but their chances of ACL knockout stage qualification have taken a massive blow. Meanwhile, Reysol the best performing of the Japanese sides will host Shandong Luneng in two weeks time.

Kashiwa currently lead Group E on for and against, as first round opponents Jeonbuk also posted a victory on Matchday 2. With J-League credibility continuing to be questioned, ACL results are of vital importance to provide tangible evidence for the competition's exalted status. After 2014 treble winners Gamba Osaka were downed 2-0 by Seongnam it's now up to Urawa (v Brisbane Roar) and Kashima (v FC Seoul) to restore some pride for the J-League on Wednesday night.

MELBOURNE VICTORY INTO ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

On Saturday night Melbourne Victory became the third Australian club into the Asian Champions League Group Stage. The Victorian club had to fight tooth and nail with Thai's Muangthong United in a play-off match ending 2-1 in front of a disappointing 8,304 fans.

Mark Milligan - standout performer despite a penalty miss

Melbourne Victory started the match a raging hot favourite; for reasons unbeknown to this writer. From the early moments though, Melbourne justified the bookies' quote, with a wealth of possession, and an opponent that was hell bent on sitting back. However, the first goal came from Muangthong United. Despite a couple of counter attacking opportunities early, Muangthong's opening goal in the 22nd minute was undeniably against the run of play. Mario Djurovski's corner was untouched as it floated beyond defender Galloway's frozen figure at the near post.

Melbourne's dominance continued unabated though. On the brink of halftime striker Archie Thompson was pushed to the ground in the box and captain Mark Milligan stepped up for the penalty. The Melbourne captain made a mess of it, slamming the ball into the upright. Melbourne returned in the second half with the same level of dominance as in the opening half. Muangthong continued to sit deep and this was a recipe for disaster not only for the Thais, but also my precious $5 wager on a tied result (after 90 mins). Eventually Melbourne got their reward though. Fullback Scott Galloway made up for his role in the goal conceded by providing the cross that James Troisi finished with aplomb. Nobody picked up the striker, and though replays showed the Socceroo hopeful was marginally offside, the 8000 odd in attendance were largely unconcerned. Melbourne's clincher came in the 83rd minute, as Muangthong failed to clear a corner sufficiently. Midfielder Leigh Broxham popped up with a drive from distance - the Muangthong goalkeeper was wrong footed by a deflection - and the match was all but over.

Running out 2-1 victors Melbourne's prize is a ticket to the Asian Champions League's group of death. They have the privilege of squaring off against current continental champions Guangzhou Evergrande, perennial knockout stage contestants Jeonbuk Motors, and Shunsuke Nakamura's Yokohama F Marinos. It's hoped the Melbourne population can finally show some appreciation for the burgeoning competition, as previous years have been witness to abysmal attendances.