The 2007
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...
was the 26th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament and the 5th edition under the current AFC Champions League title.
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese side
Urawa Red Diamonds
, colloquially Urawa Reds (浦和レッズ), also known as Mitsubishi Urawa Football Club from April 1992 to January 1996, is a professional football club in the city of Saitama, part of the Greater Tokyo Area in Japan. The club plays in the J ...
became champions for the first time, beating
Sepahan
Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan Sport Club ( fa, باشگاه فرهنگی ورزشی فولاد مبارکه سپاهان اصفهان, ''Bâšgâh-è Varzeši-ye Fulâd-è Mobârake-ye Sepâhân''), commonly known as Sepahan S.C., are an Iranian spor ...
of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and becoming the fourth Japanese club to win the Asian championship, and qualified for the
2007 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2007 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2007 presented by Toyota for sponsorship reasons) was a football tournament played in Japan from 7 to 16 December 2007. It was the fourth FIFA Club World Cup, a tourn ...
.
Participating clubs
Along with the defending champion,
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ( ko, 전북 현대 모터스) is a South Korean professional football club based in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. Playing at the Jeonju World Cup S ...
, 28 other clubs from fourteen countries qualified based on performance in domestic league and cup competitions.
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors ( ko, 전북 현대 모터스) is a South Korean professional football club based in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province that competes in the K League 1, the top tier of South Korean football. Playing at the Jeonju World Cup S ...
entered the competition at the quarter-finals.
The draw took place in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
, coordinates =
, su ...
on 22 December, allocating teams into seven groups. In February, the AFC disqualified
Esteghlal Tehran
Esteghlal Football Club ( fa, باشگاه فوتبال استقلال, ''Bâšgâh-è Futbâl-è Esteqlâl''), commonly known as Esteghlal ( fa, استقلال, meaning 'The Independence'), is an Iranian football club based in capital Tehran t ...
from Group B for failing to register their players in time. This reduced the number of competing teams to 28.
Format
;Group Stage
A total of 28 clubs were divided into 7 groups of four, based on region i.e. East Asian and Southeast Asian clubs were drawn in groups E to G, while the rest were grouped in groups A to D. Each club played double round-robin (home and away) against fellow three group members, a total of 6 matches each. Clubs received 3pts for a win, 1pt for a tie, 0pts for a loss. The clubs were ranked according to points and tie breakers were in the following order:
* Points earned between the clubs in question
* Goal Differential between the clubs in question
* Points earned within the group
* Goal Differential within the group
* Goals For within the group
The seven group winners along with the defending champion advanced to the quarter-finals.
;Knockout Round
All eight clubs were randomly matched; however, the only restriction was that the clubs from the same country could not face each other in the quarter-finals. The games were conducted in 2 legs, home and away, and the aggregate score decided the match winner. If the aggregate score couldn't produce a winner, "away goals rule" was used. If still tied, clubs played extra time, where "away goals rule" still applied. If still tied, the game went to penalties.
Group stage
Group matches were scheduled to be played over match days on 7 March 21 March 11 April 25 April 9 and 23 May 2007.
Group A
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Group B
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Group C
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Group D
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Group E
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Group F
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Group G
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Knock-out stage
Bracket
Quarter-finals
First leg
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Second leg
*''Sepahan progress 5–4 on penalties after 0–0 aggregate score''
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*''Al-Wahda progress on away goals rule with 1–1 aggregate score''
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*''Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma progress 4–1 on aggregate''
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*''Urawa Red Diamonds progress 4–1 on aggregate''
Semi-finals
First leg
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Second leg
*''Urawa Red Diamonds progress 5–3 on penalties after 4–4 aggregate score''
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*''Sepahan progress 3–1 on aggregate''
Final
First leg
Second leg
*''Urawa Red Diamonds win 3–1 on aggregate''
Top scorers
See also
*
2007 FIFA Club World Cup
The 2007 FIFA Club World Cup (officially known as the FIFA Club World Cup Japan 2007 presented by Toyota for sponsorship reasons) was a football tournament played in Japan from 7 to 16 December 2007. It was the fourth FIFA Club World Cup, a tourn ...
External links
AFC Champions League Official Page (English)AFC Calendar of Events 2007Champions League 2007, Group Stage Draw
from official site.
Champions League 2007, Knockout Stage Draw
from official site.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:2007 Afc Champions League
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
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