Li's two goals lift Shandong past Dong Tam

By Roy Wang (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-04-26 11:45

China international striker Li Jinyu scored a last-ditch winner deep into stoppage time as Shandong Luneng edged 10-man Dong Tam Long An 3-2 for their fourth consecutive win in Group G in Vietnam's southern Long An province on Wednesday evening.

"The game was more tough than expected." Li stressed repeatedly after the game, "we had realized the game would not be an easy ride, but more than that acturally."

Li headed home an Aleksandar Zivkovic pass in the 49th minute and sealed the victory for Luneng during the injury time after picking up a through ball from midfield and driving home a clinical push shot.

Wang Yongpo contributed an exquisite free kick for Luneng in the 27th minute while Zivkovic missed a spot kick in the 37th minute.


Shandong Luneng's Li Jinyu heads the ball during the Asian Champions League agaist Long An in Vietam Wednesday evening.[photo:sz.net.cn]
"My mood was peaceful now, i just did what a good striker needs to do." Li told the reporters.

"Dong Tam is not a strong team, but their hard-nosed style impressed us," Li added, "and the weather here was pretty hot, which inevitably plagued our play in the game."

Chinese double-champion winner Shandong Luneng have acquired 12 points after beating Australia's Adelaide United 1-0, South Korea's Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma 2-1, and Dong Tam Long An 4-0 in the home match and 3-2 in the away game consecutively to remain the first place of the Group G. They only need two points from their final two games to book their passage into the knockout stage.

In another game of Group G, Choi Sung-kuk sealed a 1-0 win for Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and ended Adelaide United's hopes of progressing from Group G of the AFC Champions League. Seongnam Ilhwa holding 7 points kept a little hope to enter the next stage.

Shanghai Shenhua snatched their first point in the AFC Champions League and dealt a blow to Urawa Reds' hopes of reaching the knockout stage with a goalless draw at Yuanshen Stadium in Shanghai on Wednesday. Shenhua with one point remained at the bottom of Group E, hopelessly qualifying for the next round.



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