SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Elkeson scored a second-half goal to give Shanghai SIPG a 1-0 win at Ulsan Horangi and secure a spot in the knockout stage of the Asian Champions League.
The Brazilian striker scored in the 51st minute at the home of the 2012 continental champions.
Shanghai SIPG leads Group F with 10 points, five more than Ulsan and Melbourne Victory. The Victory beat Japanese champion Kawasaki Frontale 1-0 on a last-minute strike from Kosta Barbarouses.
The 32 teams in the tournament have been divided into eight groups of four with the top two progressing to the second round.
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Group H
Kashima Antlers 1, Sydney FC 1
Mu Kanazaki put Japanese team Kashima Antlers ahead in the first half, but Matt Simon leveled for Australian champion Sydney FC in the 70th.
Kashima is in first place in the group with eight points, while Sydney is last with only two.
Shanghai Shenhua 0, Suwon Bluewings 2
Dejan Damjanovic put Suwon Bluewings ahead in the 51st minute and Choi Sung-keun added a second late in the match.
Suwon now has seven points, one behind Kashima. Shanghai has three points in third.
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Group A
Al Alhi 1, Al Gharafa 1
Al Ahli extended its unbeaten run in the competition to four games after rallying for the draw in Jeddah.
After a scoreless first half, Qatari visitors took the lead when Mehdi Taremi converted a cross from Moayed Hassan in the 56th minute.
The lead only lasted two minutes before Saeed Al Muwallad crossed for Moamen Zakaria, who headed home the equalizer for the Saudi club.
Al Ahli topes the group with eight points, three clear of Al Gharafa and Al Jazira.
Tractorsazi 1, Al Jazira 1
Brazilian Romarinho latched on to an aerial pass from Musallam Fayez and scored in the 44th minute to give Al Jazira a lead at the interaval.
Farzad Hatami equalized with a header for the home team in the 78th to equalize.
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Group C
Al Sadd 4, FC Nasaf 0
Al Sadd took a step toward the next round with the rout that started with Xavi’s goal in the third minute against the Uzbekistan club.
Xavi diverting in a cross from Boualem Khoukhi to notch his first goal in the Asian Champions League.
Al Sadd made it 2-0 in the 16th when Abdelkarim Hassan finished off a solo run with a powerful strike and Baghdad Bounedjah gave the Qatari club a 3-0 lead two minutes before halftime with an overhead kick.
Bounedjah provide the assist for Jugurtha Hamroun’s goal to finish off the scoring in the 71st.
Al Sadd leads the group with nine points, ahead of Persepolis on goal difference, and next faces last-place Al Wasl.
Persepolis 1, Al Wasl 0
Kamal Kamyabinia’s first-half header earned Persepolis an important away victory and extended Al Wasl’s streak to four consecutive losses, ending the Dubai club’s chances of advancing.
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