Anyang set up all-Korean final in Asian Club Championship

Marco Ivo and Andre Santos

Asian-Football - Anyang LG Cheetahs of Korea scored a surprise 2-1 win over Iranian side Esteghlal in Tehran on Wednesday to set up an all-Korean final at the 21st Asian Club Championship.

Goals by Brazilian imports Marco Ivo and Andre Santos silenced a partisan crowd at the Azadi Stadium and lifted Anyang into a showdown with K-League rivals Suwon Samsung Bluewings in Friday's final.

Anyang should have been in front after six minutes when playmaker Andre fired the ball into the top right hand corner of the Esteghlal net only to have his effort disallowed for an infringement by Marco.

On eleven minutes, the home side had a glorious chance to go ahead when Faraz Fatemi was sent tumbling by Anyang goalkeeper Valeri Sarytchev for a penalty. However with the penalty box heavily saturated by earlier rain, Mohammad Navazi was forced to get his kick off the ground and ended up blowing it well over the crossbar.

After a spell of domination early in the second half, Anyang went in front in the 55th minute through their Brazilian connection as Andre whipped over a corner from the right and found an unmarked Marco, whose well placed header beat Esteghlal goalkeeper Parviz Boroomand.

 Yadollah Akbari

Urged on by the home crowd, Esteghlal took just five minutes to draw level. A header by Fatemi caused problems for the Anyang defence and Choi Yoon-yeol was only able to poke the ball into the path of Yadollah Akbari, who fired home from seven yards out.

Andre's free kick shortly after flashed narrowly wide of the left upright but the Brazilian managed to conjure up a winner in the 72nd minute when he got past two Esteghlal defenders before firing a low shot by Boroomand.

The Anyang victory ensures that the Asian Club Championship title will return to Korea for the fifth time in seven seasons. Defending champions Suwon beat Uzbekistan's Nasaf Karsi in Wednesday's earlier semi-final.

"Esteghlal - Anyang LG"  Photos 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16