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Shandong Luneng completed the group stage of the AFC Champions League with
a perfect record after their second-string side cruised to a 4-0 win over BEC
Te
ro Sasana in Bangkok on Wednesday.
A brace from Ionel Danciulescu against BEC Tero helped Shandong record
their sixth straight ACL win. [WSG]
The China FA Cup winners won all six matches during their impressive push
to the quarter-finals ahead of Japan cracks Yokohama F Marinos.
Romanian international striker Ionel Danciulescu scored twice against BEC
Tero who finished bottom of the group with just one point.
"We had a lot of regular players missing but I told the team that it was
important that we got the win and finished with full points," said assistant
coach Radovic Miodrag, who led the team in the absence of head coach Ljubisa
Tumbakovic.
"The players responded well and were very competitive even though we had
already qualified for the quarter-finals. We will have more difficult games than
this in the next stage but we have ambition to go all the way."
Shandong Luneng were without defenders Predrag Pazin and Jiao Zhe, who were
both suspended, along with the tournament's top scorer Zheng Zhi and fellow
China international Li Xiaopeng. Zheng, whose two vital strikes against Yokohama
F Marinos a fortnight ago took his tally to five, and Li were rested along with
several other first team regulars.
BEC Tero, hoping for a win to lift their spirits after a poor season, named
an attacking formation with Datsakorn Thonglao, who scored both goals in the 2-2
draw with PSM Makassar of Indonesia earlier this month, and Teerathep 'Leesaw'
Winothai in a four-man midfield.
Shandong took the game to BEC Tero from the kick off and opened the scoring
after just three minutes. BEC Tero goalkeeper Phansa Meesattham, playing his
first AFC Champions League match of the season, blocked a shot straight to the
feet of Danciulescu who steered the ball into net.
Zong Lei in the Shandong Luneng goal had to look lively five minutes later
to smother an effort from Panai Kongpraphun and he was called into action again
in the 18th minute, diving low to his right to deflect a well-struck shot from
Teerathep for a corner.
Shandong increased their lead and virtually put the game beyond BEC Tero in
the 24th minute, Liu Zhao curling a left-footed free kick into the net.
BEC Tero went for broke in the second half, pushing more players into
attack, and Jatupong Thongsukh squandered their best chance of the match in the
63rd minute.
A defence splitting through ball from Datsakorn left him one on one with
the goalkeeper but he shot straight at Zong and the ball was cleared.
Shandong responded to that let off by tearing upfield and adding another
goal. The BEC Tero defence was caught flat footed by a long ball and the alert
Danciulescu was able to pick his spot.
The visitors emphasised their superiority with a fourth goal in the 90th
minute, subtitute Lu Zheng outstripping the defence with a searing turn of pace
down the right and rocketing the ball past the hapless Phansa.
Shandong finish the group on 18 points, well ahead of second-placed
Yokohama F Marinos, who beat PSM Makassar 3-0 in the group's other game.
After scoring 15 goals in six games, and conceding just two, Shandong will
be formidable opponents in the quarter-finals, which take place on September 14
and 21.
The draw for the AFC Champions League Knockout Stage will take place in
Kuala Lumpur on June 15.
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