2007 AFC Champions League | Tournament details | | Dates | March 2007 - November 2007 | | Teams | 27 + 1 | | Final positions | | Champions | Urawa Red Diamonds (1st title) | | Runner-up | Sepahan | | Tournament statistics | | Matches played | 92 | | Goals scored | 230 (2.5 per match) | | Top scorer(s) | Mota (7 goals) | | Best player | Yuichiro Nagai (Urawa Red Diamonds) | The AFC Champions League 2007 is 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 the first-time champions, beating Sepahan of Iran and becoming the fourth Japanese club to win the Asian championship. [edit] Participated Teams Along with the defending champion, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, 28 other clubs from fourteen countries qualified based on performance in domestic league and cup competitions. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors will enter the competition at the quarter-finals. The draw took place in Kuala Lumpur on December 22, allocating teams into seven groups. In February, the AFC disqualified Esteghlal Tehran from Group B for failing to register their players in time.[1] This reduced the number of competing teams to 28. [edit] Format - Group Stage
A total of 28 clubs are divided into 7 groups of four, based on region i.e. East Asian and Southeast Asian clubs are drawn in Group E to F, while rest are grouped in Group A to D. Each club plays double round-robin (home and away) against fellow three group members, a total of 6 matches each. Clubs receive 3pts for a win, 1pt for a tie, 0pts for a loss. The clubs are ranked according to points and tie breakers are in 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
- Goal For within the group
The seven group winners along with the defending champions qualifies to the quarter-finals. - Knockout Round
All 8 clubs are randomly matched; however, the only restriction is that the clubs from same country cannot face each other in the quarterfinals. The games are conduced in 2 legs, home and away, and the aggregates goals decides the match winner. If the aggregate goals cannot produce an winner, away goal rules in used. If still tied, clubs play extra time, where away goal rule still applies. If stilled tied, the game goes to penalties. [edit] Group stage Group matches were scheduled to be played over match days on March 7, March 21, April 11, April 25, May 9 and May 23, 2007. [edit] Group A [edit] Group B * Esteghlal Tehran was disqualified from the competition. [edit] Group C [edit] Group D [edit] Group E [edit] Group F [edit] Group G [edit] Knockout stage [edit] Quarter finals In this round the first leg matches were played on September 19. The second leg was on September 26. First Leg Second Leg - Sepahan progress 5-4 on penalties after 0-0 aggregate score
- Al-Wahda progress on away goals rule with 1-1 aggregate score
- Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma progress 4-1 on aggregate
- Urawa Red Diamonds progress 4-1 on aggregate
[edit] Semi finals In this round the first leg matches were played on October 3. The second leg was on October 24. First Leg Second Leg - Urawa Red Diamonds progress 5-3 on penalties after 4-4 aggregate score
- Sepahan progress 3-1 on aggregate
In the final round the first leg matches were played on November 7. The second leg was on November 14. - Urawa Red Diamonds win 3-1 on aggregate
[edit] Winners [edit] Top scorers [edit] See also [edit] External links [edit] References | | AFC club football seasons | | | AFC Champions League seasons | | Asian Champion Club Tournament | | | Asian Club Championship | | | | Champions League | | | | | | | | | | | Other defunct tournaments | | | Asian Cup Winners Cup | | | | Asian Super Cup | | | | | | |