2013 AFC Champions League
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The 2013 AFC Champions League was the 32nd edition of the top-level Asian club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 11th under the current AFC Champions League title. The defending champions, Ulsan Hyundai, failed to qualify for the tournament.
In the final, Chinese team Guangzhou Evergrande defeated South Korean team FC Seoul on away goals to win their first title, becoming the first Chinese team to win the AFC Champions League (and the second Chinese team to be crowned Asian club champions after Liaoning FC and Third Final of a Chinese team after Dalian Shide lost to Pohang Steelers in the final of the 1997–98 Asian Club Championship), and qualified for the 2013 FIFA Club World Cup.
Allocation of entries per association
The AFC laid out the procedure for deciding the participating associations and the allocation of slots, with inspection of the associations interested in participating in the AFC Champions League to be done in 2012, and the final decision to be made by the AFC in November 2012.
The following criteria for participation in the AFC Champions League were proposed by the AFC in July 2012:
- The member association (MA) has to acquire a minimum number of 600 points out of a possible 1000 according to the AFC evaluating system to qualify for participation.
- The slots for each eligible MA are decided based on the points ranking of the MAs: The top two ranked MAs in both the East and West zones get four direct slots each. The third-ranked MAs get three direct and one play-off slot. The fourth-ranked MAs get two direct and one play-off slot. The fifth-ranked MAs get one direct and one play-off slot. The sixth, seventh and eighth-ranked MAs get only a play-off slot each.
- The maximum number of slots for each MA is one-third of the total number of clubs in the top division (e.g., Australia can only get a maximum of three total slots as there are only nine Australia-based clubs in the A-League).
On 29 November 2012, the AFC Executive Committee approved the slots for the 2013 edition of the AFC Champions League. However, this final allocation of slots did not fully follow the proposal above.
| Evaluation for 2013 AFC Champions League | |
|---|---|
| Fulfills criteria (> 600 points) | |
| Does not fulfill criteria, but allocated slots | |
| Does not fulfill criteria, not allocated slots |
| Rank | Member Association | Points | Slots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Zone Rank Member Association Points Slots Group stage Play-off 1 Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia 860.5 4 0 2 Qatar Qatar 838.2 4 0 3 Iran Iran 813.5 3 1 4 United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates 750.2 2 2 5 Uzbekistan Uzbekistan 680.8 [A]2 1 6 India India −106.4 0 0 7 Jordan Jordan −128.7 0 0 Total [A]14 4 | East Zone Rank Member Association Points Slots Group stage Play-off 1 Japan Japan 946.8 4 0 2 South Korea South Korea 886.6 4 0 3 China China PR 796.7 4 0 4 Australia Australia 567.0 1 1 5 Thailand Thailand 177.2 1 1 6 Singapore Singapore −135.1 0 0 7 Vietnam Vietnam −815.7 0 0 Total [A]15 2 | |||
| Group stage | Play-off | |||
| 1 | Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia | 860.5 | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | Qatar Qatar | 838.2 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Iran Iran | 813.5 | 3 | 1 |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates | 750.2 | 2 | 2 |
| 5 | Uzbekistan Uzbekistan | 680.8 | [A]2 | 1 |
| 6 | India India | −106.4 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Jordan Jordan | −128.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | [A]14 | 4 | ||
| Rank | Member Association | Points | Slots | |
| Group stage | Play-off | |||
| 1 | Japan Japan | 946.8 | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | South Korea South Korea | 886.6 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | China China PR | 796.7 | 4 | 0 |
| 4 | Australia Australia | 567.0 | 1 | 1 |
| 5 | Thailand Thailand | 177.2 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | Singapore Singapore | −135.1 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Vietnam Vietnam | −815.7 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | [A]15 | 2 |
Notes
Teams
The following teams entered the competition.
In the following table, the number of appearances and last appearance count only those since the 2002–03 season (including qualifying rounds), when the competition was rebranded as the AFC Champions League.
Schedule
The schedule of the competition was as follows (all draws held at AFC headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia).
| Phase | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying play-off | Round 1 | 6 December 2012 | 9 February 2013 | |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 26–27 February 2013 | ||
| Matchday 2 | 12–13 March 2013 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 2–3 April 2013 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 9–10 April 2013 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 23–24 April 2013 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 30 April–1 May 2013 | |||
| Knock-out stage | Round of 16 | 14–15 May 2013 | 21–22 May 2013 | |
| Quarter-finals | 20 June 2013 | 21 August 2013 | 18 September 2013 | |
| Semi-finals | 25 September 2013 | 2 October 2013 | ||
| Final | 25 or 26 October 2013 | 8 or 9 November 2013 |
Format changes
The following changes in the format of the competition were made compared with the previous year:
- Losers of the AFC Champions League qualifying play-off did not participate in the AFC Cup.
- The round of 16 was played over two legs on a home-and-away basis instead of as a single match.
- The final was played over two legs on a home-and-away basis instead of as a single match.
Qualifying play-off
The draw for the qualifying play-off was held on 6 December 2012. Each tie was played as a single match, with extra time and penalty shoot-out used to decide the winner if necessary. The winners of each tie advanced to the group stage to join the 29 automatic qualifiers.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| West Zone | ||
| Saba Qom Iran | 1–1 (aet)(3–5p) | United Arab Emirates Al-Shabab Al-Arabi |
| Al-Nasr United Arab Emirates | 3–2 | Uzbekistan Lokomotiv Tashkent |
| East Zone | ||
| Buriram United Thailand | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (3–0p) | Australia Brisbane Roar |
Notes
Group stage
The draw for the group stage was held on 6 December 2012. The 32 teams were drawn into eight groups of four. Teams from the same association could not be drawn into the same group. Each group was played on a home-and-away round-robin basis. The winners and runners-up of each group advanced to the round of 16.
Tiebreakers
The teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a tie, 0 points for a loss). If tied on points, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
- Greater number of points obtained in the group matches between the teams concerned
- Goal difference resulting from the group matches between the teams concerned
- Greater number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned (away goals do not apply)
- Goal difference in all the group matches
- Greater number of goals scored in all the group matches
- Penalty shoot-out if only two teams are involved and they are both on the field of play
- Fewer score calculated according to the number of yellow and red cards received in the group matches (1 point for a single yellow card, 3 points for a red card as a consequence of two yellow cards, 3 points for a direct red card, 4 points for a yellow card followed by a direct red card)
- Drawing of lots
Group A
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SHB | JSH | JAZ | TRA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 13 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Qatar El Jaish | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 9 | +5 | 11 | 3–0 | — | 3–1 | 3–3 | ||
| 3 | United Arab Emirates Al-Jazira | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | −3 | 5 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Iran Tractor Sazi | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 4 | 0–1 | 2–4 | 3–1 | — |
Group B
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | LEK | SHA | ETT | PAK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qatar Lekhwiya | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 7 | +3 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates Al-Shabab Al-Arabi | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 9 | −1 | 9 | 3–1 | — | 1–0 | 0–1 | ||
| 3 | Saudi Arabia Al-Ettifaq | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 7 | 0–0 | 4–1 | — | 2–0 | ||
| 4 | Uzbekistan Pakhtakor | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 7 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | — |
Tiebreakers
- Al-Ettifaq are ranked ahead of Pakhtakor on head-to-head record.
Group C
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | AHL | GHA | SEP | NAS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 8 | +8 | 14 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–0 | 4–1 | 2–2 | |
| 2 | Qatar Al-Gharafa | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 10 | 2–2 | — | 3–1 | 3–1 | ||
| 3 | Iran Sepahan | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 13 | −1 | 9 | 2–4 | 3–1 | — | 3–0 | ||
| 4 | United Arab Emirates Al-Nasr | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 16 | −9 | 1 | 1–2 | 2–4 | 1–2 | — |
Group D
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | EST | HIL | AIN | RAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iran Esteghlal | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 13 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 12 | 1–2 | — | 2–0 | 3–1 | ||
| 3 | United Arab Emirates Al-Ain | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 6 | 0–1 | 3–1 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 4 | Qatar Al-Rayyan | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 14 | −7 | 4 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–1 | — |
Group E
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SEO | BUR | JIA | SEN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Korea FC Seoul | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 5 | +6 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 2–2 | 5–1 | 2–1 | |
| 2 | Thailand Buriram United | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 1–1 | ||
| 3 | China Jiangsu Sainty | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 10 | −5 | 7 | 0–2 | 2–0 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 4 | Japan Vegalta Sendai | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 6 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | — |
Tiebreakers
- Buriram United and Jiangsu Sainty are tied on head-to-head record, and so are ranked by overall goal difference.
Group F
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GUA | JEO | URA | MUA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China Guangzhou Evergrande | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 11 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 0–0 | 3–0 | 4–0 | |
| 2 | South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 10 | 1–1 | — | 2–2 | 2–0 | ||
| 3 | Japan Urawa Red Diamonds | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 10 | 3–2 | 1–3 | — | 4–1 | ||
| 4 | Thailand Muangthong United | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 17 | −13 | 1 | 1–4 | 2–2 | 0–1 | — |
Tiebreakers
- Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors are ranked ahead of Urawa Red Diamonds on head-to-head record.
Group G
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BUN | BEI | POH | HIR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uzbekistan Bunyodkor | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 10 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | |
| 2 | China Beijing Guoan | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 9 | 0–1 | — | 2–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 3 | South Korea Pohang Steelers | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 7 | 1–1 | 0–0 | — | 1–1 | ||
| 4 | Japan Sanfrecce Hiroshima | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 6 | −4 | 3 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | — |
Group H
| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | KSW | CCM | GUI | SUW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Japan Kashiwa Reysol | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 4 | +10 | 14 | Advance to knockout stage | — | 3–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | |
| 2 | Australia Central Coast Mariners | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | −4 | 7 | 0–3 | — | 2–1 | 0–0 | ||
| 3 | China Guizhou Renhe | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | −1 | 6 | 0–1 | 2–1 | — | 2–2 | ||
| 4 | South Korea Suwon Samsung Bluewings | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 4 | 2–6 | 0–1 | 0–0 | — |
Knockout stage
In the knock-out stage, the 16 teams played a single-elimination tournament. Each tie was played on a home-and-away two-legged basis. The away goals rule, extra time (away goals do not apply in extra time) and penalty shoot-out were used to decide the winner if necessary.
Bracket
| Round of 16 | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Qatar El Jaish | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea FC Seoul | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| China Beijing Guoan | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea FC Seoul | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea FC Seoul | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Iran Esteghlal | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| United Arab Emirates Al-Shabab Al-Arabi | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Iran Esteghlal | 4 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Iran Esteghlal | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Buriram United | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Thailand Buriram United | 2 | 0 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Uzbekistan Bunyodkor | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea FC Seoul | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| China Guangzhou Evergrande (a) | 2 | 1 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan Kashiwa Reysol | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan Kashiwa Reysol (a) | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Qatar Al-Gharafa | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Japan Kashiwa Reysol | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| China Guangzhou Evergrande | 4 | 4 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia Central Coast Mariners | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| China Guangzhou Evergrande | 2 | 3 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| China Guangzhou Evergrande | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Qatar Lekhwiya | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Qatar Lekhwiya | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Round of 16
In the round of 16, the winners of one group played the runners-up of another group in the same zone, with the group winners hosting the second leg.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Gharafa Qatar | 1–5 | Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab | 1–2 | 0–3 |
| El Jaish Qatar | 1–3 | Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Al-Hilal Saudi Arabia | 2–3 | Qatar Lekhwiya | 0–1 | 2–2 |
| Al-Shabab Al-Arabi United Arab Emirates | 2–4 | Iran Esteghlal | 2–4 | 0–0 |
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing Guoan China | 1–3 | South Korea FC Seoul | 0–0 | 1–3 |
| Buriram United Thailand | 2−1 | Uzbekistan Bunyodkor | 2–1 | 0−0 |
| Central Coast Mariners Australia | 1–5 | China Guangzhou Evergrande | 1–2 | 0–3 |
| Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors South Korea | 2–5 | Japan Kashiwa Reysol | 0–2 | 2–3 |
Quarter-finals
The draw for the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final (to decide the order of two legs) was held on 20 June 2013. In this draw, teams from different zones could play each other, and the "country protection" rule was applied: if there are exactly two teams from the same association, they may not play each other in the quarter-finals; however, if there are more than two teams from the same association, they may play each other in the quarter-finals.
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Ahli Saudi Arabia | 1–2 | South Korea FC Seoul | 1–1 | 0–1 |
| Esteghlal Iran | 3–1 | Thailand Buriram United | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Kashiwa Reysol Japan | 3–3 (a) | Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab | 1–1 | 2–2 |
| Guangzhou Evergrande China | 6–1 | Qatar Lekhwiya | 2–0 | 4–1 |
Semi-finals
| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FC Seoul South Korea | 4–2 | Iran Esteghlal | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| Kashiwa Reysol Japan | 1–8 | China Guangzhou Evergrande | 1–4 | 0–4 |
Final
| FC Seoul South Korea | 2–2 | China Guangzhou Evergrande |
|---|---|---|
| Escudero 11' Damjanović 83' | Elkeson 30' Gao Lin 58' |
3–3 on aggregate. Guangzhou Evergrande won on away goals.
Awards
| Award | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Brazil Muriqui | China Guangzhou Evergrande |
| Top Goalscorer | Brazil Muriqui | China Guangzhou Evergrande |
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Team | MD1 | MD2 | MD3 | MD4 | MD5 | MD6 | 2R1 | 2R2 | QF1 | QF2 | SF1 | SF2 | F1 | F2 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazil Muriqui | China Guangzhou Evergrande | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 13 | ||||
| 2 | Argentina Darío Conca | China Guangzhou Evergrande | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | ||||||||
| 3 | Montenegro Dejan Damjanović | South Korea FC Seoul | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | ||||||||
| Brazil Wagner Ribeiro | Qatar El Jaish | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 5 | Brazil Elkeson | China Guangzhou Evergrande | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | |||||||||
| Japan Masato Kudo | Japan Kashiwa Reysol | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 7 | Saudi Arabia Mustafa Al-Bassas | Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Oman Amad Al Hosni | Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| France Djibril Cissé | Qatar Al-Gharafa | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Brazil Edgar | United Arab Emirates Al-Shabab Al-Arabi | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Tunisia Youssef Msakni | Qatar Lekhwiya | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |||||||||||
| Qatar Sebastián Soria | Qatar Lekhwiya | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| Argentina Sebastián Tagliabué | Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||
| South Korea Yun Il-Lok | South Korea FC Seoul | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Note: Goals scored in qualifying play-off not counted.
Source: