2007 AFC Champions League explained

Tourney Name:	AFC Champions League
Year:	2007
Dates:	7 March – 14 November 2007
Num Teams:	28
Champion Other:	Urawa Red Diamonds
Count:	1
Second Other:	Sepahan
Matches:	92
Goals:	230
Top Scorer:	Mota (7 goals)
Player:	Yuichiro Nagai
Fair Play:	Urawa Red Diamonds
Prevseason:	2006
Nextseason:	2008

The 2007 AFC Champions League was the 26th edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament and the 5th edition under the current AFC Champions League title.

Japanese side Urawa Red Diamonds became champions for the first time, beating Sepahan of Iran and becoming the fourth Japanese club to win the Asian championship, and qualified for the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup.

Format

Group StageA 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 RoundAll 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.

Participating clubs

After their admission into the AFC, Australia were granted two entries. Because of this, both Thailand and Vietnam were restricted to entering just one club, with a second club from each country playing in the AFC Cup.

West Asia		East Asia
Quarter-finals
Team	Qualifying method	Team	Qualifying method
		Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors	Defending champions
Group Stage
Team	Qualifying method	Team	Qualifying method
	2005–06 Iran Pro League champions	Adelaide United	2005–06 A-League premiers
Sepahan	2005–06 Hazfi Cup winners	Sydney FC	2006 A-League Grand Final winners
Al-Zawraa	2005–06 Iraqi Premier League champions	Shandong Luneng Taishan	2006 Chinese Super League champions &<br>2006 Chinese FA Cup winners
Al-Najaf	2005–06 Iraqi Premier League runners-up	Shanghai Shenhua	2006 Chinese Super League runners-up
Kuwait SC	2005–06 Kuwaiti Premier League champions	Persik Kediri	2006 Liga Indonesia Premier Division champions
Al-Arabi	2006 Kuwait Emir Cup winners	Arema Malang	2006 Copa Indonesia winners
Al Sadd	2005–06 Qatar Stars League champions	Urawa Red Diamonds	2006 J.League Division 1 champions &<br>2006 Emperor's Cup winners
Al-Rayyan	2005–06 Emir of Qatar Cup winners	Kawasaki Frontale	2006 J.League Division 1 runners-up
Al Shabab	2005–06 Saudi Premier League champions	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma	2006 K League champions
Al Hilal	2005–06 Saudi Crown Prince Cup winners	Chunnam Dragons	2006 Korean FA Cup winners
Al-Karamah	2005–06 Syrian Premier League champions	Bangkok University FC	2006 Thailand Premier League champions
	2005–06 Syrian Cup winners		2006 V-League winners
Al Wahda	2005–06 UAE Football League runners-up
Al Ain	2005–06 UAE President's Cup winners
Pakhtakor	2006 Uzbek League champions &<br>2006 Uzbekistan Cup winners
Neftchi Fergana	2006 Uzbek League runners-up

Notes

Group stage

The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur on 22 December, allocating teams into seven groups. In February, the AFC disqualified Esteghlal Tehran from Group B for failing to register their players in time.

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

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

See main article: 2007 AFC Champions League Final.

Second leg

Urawa Red Diamonds win 3–1 on aggregate

Top scorers

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1		Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma	7
2	Kim Dong-hyun	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma	5
2	Mehdi Seyed Salehi	Sepahan	5
4		Al-Hilal	4
		Al-Arabi
		Najaf FC
	Steve Corica	Sydney FC
	Travis Dodd	Adelaide United
	Robson Ponte	Urawa Red Diamonds
10		Kawasaki Frontale	3
		Kawasaki Frontale
	Kengo Nakamura
	Wang Yongpo	Shandong Luneng Taishan
	Li Jinyu	Shandong Luneng Taishan
	Emad Mohammed	Sepahan
	Mahmoud Karimi	Sepahan
	Mamadou Bagayoko	Al-Wahda
	Waleed Al-Gizani	Al-Shabab
	Diego Alonso	Shanghai Shenhua
	Fernando
	Iyad Mando	Al-Karamah
	Senghor Koupouleni	Al-Karamah
	Tatsuya Tanaka	Urawa Red Diamonds
	Yuichiro Nagai	Urawa Red Diamonds
	Yuki Abe	Urawa Red Diamonds
	Choi Sung-Kuk	Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma