Pohang Steelers start AFC Champions League campaign with ...

 
The Pohang Steelers beat Hanoi FC 4-2 Wednesday, starting their bid to win their fourth AFC Champions League title on the right foot. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors also managed a 2-1 victory over Kitchee FC on the same night, leaving all four Korean teams with wins in their opening games.
 
The Steelers played Hanoi at My Dinh National Stadium in the Vietnamese capital and struggled in the early going of the game, allowing multiple shots on target.
 
The Pohang side still got on the scoresheet first with an own goal by Damien Le Tellec in the 30th minute. They then seemed to find their feet, with Yoon Min-ho scoring a goal in the 34th minute and Kim In-sung making it 3-0 in the 39th minute.
 
Kim scored another goal in the 49th minute and made it 4-0. Joel Taegueu scored a brace in the 53rd and 87th minutes to take the score to 4-2, but that was all Hanoi could manage.
 
The Steelers topped Group J after the 4-2 victory. They will become the winningest team in Champions League history with four titles alongside Al-Hilal SFC from Saudi Arabia, if they win the tournament this season.
 
Over in Jeonju, North Jeolla, two-time winner Jeonbuk beat Kitchee from Hong Kong 2-1 after a goal by Han Kyo-won and Hong Jeong-ho.
 
A total of four K League teams are competing this year — the Steelers, Jeonbuk, Ulsan Hyundai and Incheon United — and they have all won their first games of the tournament so far.
 
The Steelers will be back in Champions League action on Oct. 4 when they play Wuhan Three Towns from China, the same day Jeonbuk face Bangkok United from Thailand.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]