Two S. Korean clubs reach quarterfinals at AFC Champions League

SEOUL/SUWON, South Korea, May 25 (Yonhap) -- FC Seoul and Suwon Samsung Bluewings of South Korea's K-League advanced to the quarterfinals of an ongoing Asian club football competition Wednesday. In the round of 16 action at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League, FC Seoul defeated Kashima Antlers of Japan 3-0 at Seoul World Cup Stadium. In Suwon, about 46 kilometers south of Seoul, the Bluewings blanked Nagoya Grampus, also of Japan, 2-0. In Seoul, Bang Seung-whan opened the scoring in the 38th, taking a pass from Dejan Damjanovic and driving it past the diving goalkeeper Hitoshi Sogahata. In the 55th, two of Seoul's top imports connected, as Uzbek Server Djeparov set up Damjanovic from Montenegro. Moments before the final whistle, Seoul's Koh Myong-jin capitalized on a miscue by Sogahata to add the finishing touch. The Japanese keeper charged out to midfield to clear a loose ball, but Koh flicked the ball past Sogahata and rolled the ball into the empty net. In Suwon, wingers Yeom Ki-hun and Lee Sang-ho scored in the 24th and then 57th minute to send the Bluewings to their second straight AFC quarters. Seoul and Suwon have joined another K-League team already in the quarters. On Tuesday, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors booked their ticket to the next round with a 3-0 win over Tianjin Teda of China. FC Seoul improved to six wins, one loss and one draw under interim head coach Choi Yong-soo, who replaced Hwangbo Kwan last month. At the 2009 AFC Champions League, FC Seoul also eliminated Kashima from the round of 16. Suwon extended its home undefeated streak to 26 games -- 22 wins and four draws -- at the AFC event. Once teams advance to the quarters, they will be entered in a draw to determine matchups. Quarterfinals will be home-and-away, with the first leg on Sept. 14 and the second leg on either Sept. 27 or 28. The aggregate score will determine the winner. AFC Champions League games are set up intermittently to accommodate playing schedules for participating clubs in their own leagues. The semifinals will be in October and the one-and-done championship match will be in November. K-League has been the most successful circuit in the Asian Champions League, with nine champions. Last year, all four K-League representatives reached the quarterfinals and Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma won the title.