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| Choi Hyo-Jin challenges Umm Salal's Mohamed Husain [AFP] |
Umm Salal's dreams of reaching an unlikely Asian Champions League final looked stark after a goal in each half gave Pohang Steelers a 2-0 victory in the semi-final first leg in South Korea.
A crucial away goal eluded the Qatari minnows who will look to their home crowd in Doha to inspire a turnaround on Wednesday next week.
Pohang made the most of home advantage at the Steelyard Stadium with Hwang Jae-Won and Kim Jae-Sung finding the target but they should have had more goals against a team on the back foot for most of the match.
A November 7 final in Tokyo beckons against either Saudi Arabian giants Al Ittihad or Japan's Nagoya Grampus, who play later on Wednesday.
The Koreans came out firing with Umm-Salal threatening to implode in the first 20 minutes, but Frenchman Gerard Gili's plucky side held on and got back into the game.
They had their chances but their fate was sealed when Hwang claimed the opener deep into first-half injury time, out-jumping the goalkeeper to plant a powerful header into the left-hand corner.
Sustained pressure
Pohang returned for the second period determined to build on their advantage, exerting sustained pressure and having a penalty appeal turned down on 53 minutes.
The crucial second goal finally came 11 minutes from time when playmaker Kim launched himself at a pinpoint cross and buried his diving header in the top left-hand corner.
In the other semi, Al Ittihad take on Nagoya in Jeddah with the Saudi champions, who are unbeaten in this year's competition, favourites to make the final.
They won the title in 2004 and 2005 and are on a roll this season, having won all four matches so far in the 2009-10 Saudi Pro League.
With new signing Tunisia Amine Chermiti up front and Argentine forward Luciano Leguizamon on loan, Gabriel Calderon's team will be a tough test for Nagoya.
"I am sure that my men can do their best to secure a home win," said Calderon, a former coach of the Saudi Arabia and Oman national teams.
Unlike Ittihad, the Japanese have been in indifferent form domestically, having long slipped out of J-League title contention.
Nagoya coach Dragan Stojkovic has a selection headache in defence after Takahiro Masukawa was hospitalised with swine flu last week but has been boosted by the return of striker Keiji Tamada.
The 29-year-old suffered a rib injury in Japan's 6-0 win over Hong Kong in an Asian Cup qualifier two weeks ago, but travelled with the squad to Jeddah and could play.
The second legs are played on October 28.
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