Brisbane will be made to look foolish if they underestimate their opponents. Both Tokyo and Beijing have passionate, boisterous sets of supporters, which will make away trips extremely tough.
How they got here: 2010-11 A-League premiers and champions
ACL history: Debut appearance.
Best finish: N/A
Key players: Thomas Broich – Undoubtedly the centrepiece of Brisbane Roar’s best XI and arguably one of the best players to ever grace Australian domestic football, Broich-s influence will have a massive say on whether the Queenslanders can replicate their A-League dominance in the AFC Champions League.
Sayed Mohamed Adnan – The Roar’s lanky Bahrani stopper will be a handy source of knowledge when it comes to Brisbane’s first ever international competition. They won’t have to make their own mistakes to learn from them – Adnan’s experience with the Bahrani national team will help the Roar navigate the dangers and pitfalls of first-class Asian competition.
Ulsan Hyundai
How they got here: 2011 K-League runners-up
ACL history: Third appearance.
Best finish: Ulsan’s best performance at continental level was their first under the AFC Champions League banner – in 2006, they made the semi-final, but were defeated by fellow Korean side Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
Key players: Kim Shin-Wook – The 23-year-old South Korean international started his career was a centre-half – which makes sense, given he stands at nearly two metres tall. But his height inspired one of his former coaches to switch him to the other end of the park, and he’s been a constant goal threat for Ulsan ever since his successful conversion.
Kwak Tae-Hwi – A solid, reliable defender, 30-year-old Kwak is not only Ulsan’s captain – but just days ago, he was announced as the new skipper of the South Korean national team as well. He was instrumental in Ulsan’s run to the K-League championship final last season and is a real leader at the back.
FC Toyko
How they got here: 2011 Emperor’s Cup winners.
ACL history: Debut appearance.
Best finish: N/A
Key players: Sota Hirayama – The towering striker had a memorable debut for the Japanese national team in a 2011 Asian Cup qualifier, netting a hat-trick in their 3-2 win over. At club level, Hirayama enjoyed a successful season last year as FC Tokyo won promotion back to the top flight at the first attempt.
Lucas Severino – A wily veteran amongst a side chock-full of burgeoning talent, Tokyo will look to Brazilian forward Lucas to provide them with a cool head in the final third. The 33-year-old is a proven goalscorer at continental level, having lifted the ACL with Gamba Osaka in 2008.
Beijing Guoan
How they got here: 2011 Chinese Super League runners-up.
ACL history: Fourth appearance.
Best finish: In 2010, Beijing made it out of the group stages of the Champions League for the first time, but fell to Korean side Suwon Samsung Bluewings in round of 16.
Key players: Reinaldo – Yes, that Reinaldo. The former Brisbane Roar marksman now ply-s his trade in China after spells with Qatari club Al-Wakra and Saudi side Al-Raed. Beijing will be hoping the imposing Brazilian will be able to replicate the feats of his first spell with the Roar, when he was prolific in front of goal.
Andrija Kaluderovic – Another man who will be a key figure up front for the Chinese team is Serbian striker Kaluderovic, who joined Beijing earlier this month. Impressive in his last two seasons with FK Rad and Red Star Belgrade, the hope is that he will create a formidable partnership with Reinaldo up front.
Who will make it through: On paper, it seems as if Brisbane were blessed with a far easier group than their A-League rivals, Central Coast and Adelaide. While the other two Australian clubs were drawn with teams who have previously taken out the ACL, the Roar weren’t – only Ulsan Hyundai have made it past the round of 16. The other two teams look weak, as well – FC Toyko spent last year in the second tier of Japanese football, and Beijing Guoan recently lost their talisman, Australian striker Joel Griffiths. But Brisbane will be made to look foolish if they underestimate their opponents. Both Tokyo and Beijing have passionate, boisterous sets of supporters, which will make away trips extremely tough. And they wouldn’t be here if they couldn’t play football. The Roar have perhaps the best chance out of the three Australian teams to reach the knockout stages, but they’ll have to bring their A-game.
