Brazilians add big bang to ACL scoring binge
SHANGHAI - Big-money Brazilians Hulk and Oscar were among the scorers as Australian sides were brutally put to the sword in an Asian Champions League goalfest on Tuesday.
Heavy-spending Shanghai SIPG hammered 2014 champion Western Sydney Wanderers 5-1, while the Brisbane Roar crashed 6-0 to Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea.
Former Porto and Zenit Saint Petersburg striker Hulk, whose stunner sank FC Seoul 1-0 last week, found the net again with a third-minute header from a Zhang Wei cross to give the host an early advantage in the Group F clash.
Shanghai stretched its lead in the 17th minute through ex-Chelsea star Oscar, whose right-footed shot from the center of the box off a Hulk pass gave Sydney goalkeeper Jerrad Tyson no chance.
Sydney briefly put up a fight through Mitch Nichols in the 20th minute, but the Aussies faded after that as Shanghai and its Brazilian imports ran riot.
Defender Shi Ke gave Shanghai a 3-1 lead and the bulky Hulk was in the thick of the action again in the 27th minute, setting up yet another Brazilian, Elkeson, to make it 4-1.
Wu Lei sealed the rout for Shanghai, which despite its big score, trails Urawa Red Diamonds on goal difference after the Japanese mauled Seoul 5-2.
"We looked dangerous going forward throughout the game," Shanghai's former Tottenham and Chelsea coach Andre Villas-Boas said.
Following their 4-0 walloping of Western Sydney last week, the Japanese were quick to take control with Yuki Muto and Tadanari Lee netting within 11 minutes of the start.
However, the goal of the match came from Park Chu-young, who scored with a stunning free kick for the visitor.
But Takahiro Sekine, Tomoya Ugajin and Yoshiaki Komai added to Urawa's tally as an action-packed first half ended 5-1.
Substitute Dejan Damjanovic pulled back a consolation goal in the 92nd minute for the demoralized South Koreans.
Group E also saw goals galore, with Kim In-sung and Mislav Orsic both bagging doubles for Ulsan Hyundai as the Roar barely managed to put up a fight in the 6-0 rout.
Saudi side Al Ahli took top spot in Group C after squeezing past Iran's Zobahan 2-1 for their second straight win despite playing half the game with 10 men.
Agence France-Presse