Kashima bounce back in AFC Champions League

Japan’s Kashima Antlers stormed back to their winning ways in the AFC Champions League Wednesday, beating a 10-man Shanghai Shenhua as fellow J-Leaguers Kawasaki Frontale earned a point in Korea.

It was a welcome return to form for the Japanese champions who were thrashed 4-1 in their opening match by Korea’s Suwon Bluewings then lost in their domestic competition over the weekend.

The defeat in Suwon dented the confidence of a team that have never done well in continental competitions despite their record of six J-League titles in 13 seasons.

But they showed character to bounce back against Shanghai, runners-up in last year’s Chinese Super League, who were in confident mood after hammering Singapore Armed Forces 4-1 in their opening game.

Boosted by the signings of Australian international Mark Milligan and Belarus forward Vyacheslav Hleb, younger brother of Barcelona star Alexander, Shanghai proved to be the better team early on.

But it was Kashima midfielder Takuya Nozawa who got the crucial opening goal just before the break when he latched on to a pinpoint pass from Yuya Osako and fired beyond goalkeeper Zhang Chen.

Shanghai pressed hard for the equaliser but when Du Wei, captain of the Chinese national team, was sent off for a second yellow card in the 68th minute their heads dropped and Osako sealed the win with 11 minutes to go.

Kawasaki Frontale, who won their opening game, grabbed a point against Korean FA Cup winners Pohang Steelers in a game featuring a heavy South American flavour with five Brazilians in action.

Choi Hyo-Jin scored the opener for the home team in the 12th minute before Shuhei Terada equalized midway through the half. Despite numerous chances neither side could find the killer punch.

Pohang now have two points from two games while Kawasaki have four.

The other teams in their group, China’s Tianjin Teda and Australian outfit Central Coast Mariners, fought out an exciting 2-2 draw.

Tianjin went to the break 1-0 ahead after Brazil’s Eber struck in the 36th minute.

The Mariners got themselves back in the game three minutes after the restart through Adrian Caceres before taking the lead four minutes later when Matt Simon pounced against the run of play.

But their lead was shortlived with We Weian drawing Tianjin level just minutes later to hand the Chinese side its first point of the championship.

In Singapore, S-League champions Singapore Armed Forces lost their second game in a row, crashing 2-0 to Korea’s Suwon, who are the only team in their group to have maximum points.

A second-half brace from Edu did the damage, leaving the Singaporens almost certainly out of the running.

In West Asia zone matches, Iranian powerhouse Esteghlal snatched their first point of the tournament in a 1-1 draw with UAE hotshots Al Jazira.

Later Wednesday, Saudi giants Al Ittihad take on Umm-Salal in Qatar while Uzbekistan’s Bunyodkor face Al Shabab Al Arabi in Dubai and another Saudi side, Ettifaq, play Iran’s Foolad Sepahan.