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2026/2027 asian champions league 1 and 2 thread

AFC Champions League Elite league stage pots (West region),

Pot 1:
Al Ahli Jeddah – Saudi Arabia
Al Ain – United Arab Emirates
Al Sadd – Qatar
Esteghlal Tehran – Iran

Pot 2:
FC Neftchi Fergana – Uzbekistan
Al Quwa Al Jawiya – Iraq
Al Nasr Riyadh – Saudi Arabia
Shabab Al Ahli Dubai – United Arab Emirates

Pot 3:
Al Gharafa – Qatar
Tractor Sazi – Iran
Al Hilal Riyadh – Saudi Arabia
Al Wasl Dubai – United Arab Emirates

Pot 4:
Al Shamal – Qatar
Al Qadsiah – Saudi Arabia
Al Ittihad Jeddah – Saudi Arabia
FC Pakhtakor Tashkent – Uzbekistan

AFC Champions League Elite league stage pots (East region),

Pot 1:
Kashima Antlers – Japan
Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors – South Korea
Buriram United – Thailand
Shanghai Port – China

Pot 2:
Newcastle Jets – Australia
Johor Darul Tazim – Malaysia
Vissel Kobe – Japan
Daejeon Hana Citizen – South Korea

Pot 3:
Port FC – Thailand
Beijing Guoan – China
Kashiwa Reysol – Japan
Pohang Steelers – South Korea

Pot 4:
Ratchaburi – Thailand
Kyoto Sanga – Japan
Gamba Osaka – Japan
Cong An Hanoi – Vietnam

draw: Tuesday August 18th 6.00pm AEST via The AFC Hub youtube channel.

www.the-afc.com

AFC Champions League Elite 2026/27™: Expanded #ACLElite set for League Stage Draw

Taking place for the 24th time in the modern ACL era, this upcoming edition will feature an expanded cast of 32 sides for the first time.
www.the-afc.com www.the-afc.com
 
TheSecretScout said:
you dont think you're being a little harsh? especially about no poorer performance in asia
Click to expand...

I've seen plenty of poor performances in Asia. What sucked about this match was Con An was missing their best six player because they were on international duty. And that club was also in pre-season like the Reds but still outclassed them. Such a rusty performance with little attacking cohesion.

It's a tough position to be in at this time of the year because the Reds best players keep getting bought.
 
TheSecretScout said:
you dont think you're being a little harsh? especially about no poorer performance in asia
Click to expand...
At home, against a side also in pre-season, who are missing six players on international duty and are from a weaker league than the ALM.

It was just poor and tactically naive, not to mention the multitude of players out of position. Other sides performing poorly in Asia have been out of season facing sides in season, have travelled huge distances, in horrific playing constions and had games scheduled at horrific times.

Adelaide had none of that, relatively little to no squad/coaching overhaul and served up that.
 
grazorblade said:
Well was there a worse performance that u can remember?

Ive seen some heavy defeats against j and k leagues sides but everything about this performance was very poor
Click to expand...
Mariners opening game in AFC Cup would go close for me but had mitigating circumstances. Coached by an interim coach, in pre-season vs in-season, horrific oppressive conditions in Malaysia and the majority of the squad yet to be recruited.
 
grazorblade said:
Well was there a worse performance that u can remember?

Ive seen some heavy defeats against j and k leagues sides but everything about this performance was very poor
Click to expand...
macarthur against that cambodian team was poor (albeit away) - i would say thats definitely a worse performance based on the massive financial difference compared with adelaide.

sydney vs the lions was a bad result - again away though
 
TheSecretScout said:
macarthur against that cambodian team was poor (albeit away) - i would say thats definitely a worse performance based on the massive financial difference compared with adelaide.

sydney vs the lions was a bad result - again away though
Click to expand...
I watched both games. I guess its hard to have an objective measure of badness but i think this one overtakrs those

That lions defensive performance was pretty good to be fair as frustrating as it was for us
 
grazorblade said:
I watched both games. I guess its hard to have an objective measure of badness but i think this one overtakrs those

That lions defensive performance was pretty good to be fair as frustrating as it was for us
Click to expand...

agree, how we watch the game is subjective.

Its hard for me to take my AU club hat off sometimes, but like i said against souths - AU werent the better team, same as last night - they definitely werent the better side and deserved the loss.

i've worked closely with AA for many years now and he sleeps and breathes football, after the match he was quite upset and im interested in how he will respond in training tomorrow.

our conversations are never about tactics (99% of the time its youth developement and upcoming players). But i do wonder how he slept last night, given he slightly altered AU's formation and positionally how some of the players were lined up.

perhaps he tried to play it too smart and he is the sort of coach who will admit hes made mistakes - i've been present multiple times when hes said to the coaching staff in terms of substitutes that he made too late or too early.

AA's still very young in terms of senior professional mens coaching
 
SouthernMariner said:
Mariners opening game in AFC Cup would go close for me but had mitigating circumstances. Coached by an interim coach, in pre-season vs in-season, horrific oppressive conditions in Malaysia and the majority of the squad yet to be recruited.
Click to expand...
It was a pretty strong side from the Mariners but yes interim coach and pre-season and awful conditions. Got it together after that.
 
TheSecretScout said:
agree, how we watch the game is subjective.

Its hard for me to take my AU club hat off sometimes, but like i said against souths - AU werent the better team, same as last night - they definitely werent the better side and deserved the loss.

i've worked closely with AA for many years now and he sleeps and breathes football, after the match he was quite upset and im interested in how he will respond in training tomorrow.

our conversations are never about tactics (99% of the time its youth developement and upcoming players). But i do wonder how he slept last night, given he slightly altered AU's formation and positionally how some of the players were lined up.

perhaps he tried to play it too smart and he is the sort of coach who will admit hes made mistakes - i've been present multiple times when hes said to the coaching staff in terms of substitutes that he made too late or too early.

AA's still very young in terms of senior professional mens coaching
Click to expand...
I was frustrated by a few things in particular (though you can always get it wrong after 1 watch)

1) just how frequently players passed to offside players
2) just how wonky the offside line is
3) How the team was an umbrella shape with often only a single player within cong's defensive line
4) how much long passes were used in build up. Our youth are roughly half as accurate at long passes compared to both asian and u20 world cup opposition.
5) some poor first touches and poorly weighted/directed passes who seemed to be technically decent last year (this could be a preseason thing....but there were a lot for an a league team)
 
grazorblade said:
I was frustrated by a few things in particular (though you can always get it wrong after 1 watch)

1) just how frequently players passed to offside players
2) just how wonky the offside line is
3) How the team was an umbrella shape with often only a single player within cong's defensive line
4) how much long passes were used in build up. Our youth are roughly half as accurate at long passes compared to both asian and u20 world cup opposition.
5) some poor first touches and poorly weighted/directed passes who seemed to be technically decent last year (this could be a preseason thing....but there were a lot for an a league team)
Click to expand...
majority of your points can be countered with it it being pre season and fine tuning and i know people are going to say well that an excuse (which to some degree it is, especially considering cong an had to travel and were missing several players)

like i said above, to me AA was trying to be a little too cute with the formation and postionally with a few of the players.

left back always has been a problem for AU, no one has ever challenged kitto for that spot. I voiced my feelings many times over the past few seasons oo bailey o'neil being the heir apparent but he has suffered so many injuries the club released him and he's now with adelaide city where he is just trying to string 90 minutes together in that battered body of his

fabian talladira for me has always been a defensive fullback, attacking wingback does not suit him what so ever - he doesnt know when to attack or defend (yes hes still very young and will hopefully develope that abillity) but i have my doubts whether he will make it professionally. Its frustrating for me to say that given my familys relationship with the talladiras (his dad carlo was a fine player in that wonderful adelaide city side many many years ago)

H (crawford) looked completely lost in that system last night, he's a player i fully expected to explode this season and so far he has not been at the level i expected.

goodwin and muniz start at every club in this league, however they have not played well when they are on the same team sheet. This was covered up last year by other players - but could be problematic this season if the club dont sign a striker or another winger

yull and alagich who have both been heavily monitored by european clubs for the past 18 months also have struggled so far in pre season.
 
TheSecretScout said:
majority of your points can be countered with it it being pre season and fine tuning and i know people are going to say well that an excuse (which to some degree it is, especially considering cong an had to travel and were missing several players)

like i said above, to me AA was trying to be a little too cute with the formation and postionally with a few of the players.

left back always has been a problem for AU, no one has ever challenged kitto for that spot. I voiced my feelings many times over the past few seasons oo bailey o'neil being the heir apparent but he has suffered so many injuries the club released him and he's now with adelaide city where he is just trying to string 90 minutes together in that battered body of his

fabian talladira for me has always been a defensive fullback, attacking wingback does not suit him what so ever - he doesnt know when to attack or defend (yes hes still very young and will hopefully develope that abillity) but i have my doubts whether he will make it professionally. Its frustrating for me to say that given my familys relationship with the talladiras (his dad carlo was a fine player in that wonderful adelaide city side many many years ago)

H (crawford) looked completely lost in that system last night, he's a player i fully expected to explode this season and so far he has not been at the level i expected.

goodwin and muniz start at every club in this league, however they have not played well when they are on the same team sheet. This was covered up last year by other players - but could be problematic this season if the club dont sign a striker or another winger

yull and alagich who have both been heavily monitored by european clubs for the past 18 months also have struggled so far in pre season.
Click to expand...
Some of brodie burkitts touches surprised me too, loomed promising last year, hopefully just a rubbish game

Why dont they organize friendlies against local npl teams to get ready for these games?
 
grazorblade said:
Some of brodie burkitts touches surprised me too, loomed promising last year, hopefully just a rubbish game

Why dont they organize friendlies against local npl teams to get ready for these games?
Click to expand...
They played two, though against lower opposition than NPL in Cove FC and Playford.
 
grazorblade said:
Some of brodie burkitts touches surprised me too, loomed promising last year, hopefully just a rubbish game

Why dont they organize friendlies against local npl teams to get ready for these games?
Click to expand...
Brodies been carrying a knock this pre season, the club are trying to work through it with him - He's not at the level to play a full match yet and i think thats shown with all his performances so far in pre season matches
 
ACL Two playoff results:
East Bengal – India 4 Al Arabi – Kuwait 1*
FK Arkadag – Turkmenistan 3 FC Goa – India 0
Persib Bandung – Indonesia v Manila Digger – Philippines (Monday August 31st 10.00pm AEST)

*After Extra Time.
 
AFC Champions League Two group stage pots (West region),

Pot 1:
Al Jazira Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates
Al Hussein Irbid – Jordan
Al Taawoun – Saudi Arabia
Al Wahda Abu Dhabi – United Arab Emirates

Pot 2:
Al Rayyan – Qatar
Gol Gohar Sirjan – Iran
FC Nasaf Qarshi – Uzbekistan
Al Shorta – Iraq

Pot 3:
Al Faisaly – Jordan
Al Muharraq – Bahrain
Al Seeb – Oman
Al Kuwait – Kuwait

Pot 4:
Al Khaldiya – Bahrain
Al Nahda – Oman
East Bengal – India
FK Arkadag – Turkmenistan

AFC Champions League Two group stage pots (East region),

Pot 1:
Gangwon – South Korea
Adelaide United – Australia
FC Machida Zelvia – Japan
FC Seoul – South Korea

Pot 2:
BG Pathum United – Thailand
Shanghai Shenhua – China
Melbourne Victory – Australia
Kuching City – Malaysia

Pot 3:
The Cong Viettel – Vietnam
Lion City Sailors – Singapore
Kitchee – Hong Kong
PKR Svay Rieng – Cambodia

Pot 4:
Tampines Rovers – Singapore
Tai Po – Hong Kong
Phnom Penh Crown – Cambodia
Persib Bandung – Indonesia or Manila Digger – Philippines

draw will be live streamed via The AFC Hub youtube channel from 4.00pm AEST next Tuesday.

www.the-afc.com

AFC Champions League Two 2026/27™: Road to glory begins: #ACLTwo contenders to discover Group Stage fate

Featuring 32 clubs, the 22nd edition of Asia’s second-tier men’s competition will kick off its thrilling group battles on September 15.
www.the-afc.com www.the-afc.com
 
TheSecretScout said:
majority of your points can be countered with it it being pre season and fine tuning and i know people are going to say well that an excuse (which to some degree it is, especially considering cong an had to travel and were missing several players)

like i said above, to me AA was trying to be a little too cute with the formation and postionally with a few of the players.

left back always has been a problem for AU, no one has ever challenged kitto for that spot. I voiced my feelings many times over the past few seasons oo bailey o'neil being the heir apparent but he has suffered so many injuries the club released him and he's now with adelaide city where he is just trying to string 90 minutes together in that battered body of his

fabian talladira for me has always been a defensive fullback, attacking wingback does not suit him what so ever - he doesnt know when to attack or defend (yes hes still very young and will hopefully develope that abillity) but i have my doubts whether he will make it professionally. Its frustrating for me to say that given my familys relationship with the talladiras (his dad carlo was a fine player in that wonderful adelaide city side many many years ago)

H (crawford) looked completely lost in that system last night, he's a player i fully expected to explode this season and so far he has not been at the level i expected.

goodwin and muniz start at every club in this league, however they have not played well when they are on the same team sheet. This was covered up last year by other players - but could be problematic this season if the club dont sign a striker or another winger

yull and alagich who have both been heavily monitored by european clubs for the past 18 months also have struggled so far in pre season.
Click to expand...
I was gonna ask about Talladira. He was originally a midfielder, is there any chance he’ll play there at some point for the first team or is he only a left-back now?
 
AUFC_Fan said:
I was gonna ask about Talladira. He was originally a midfielder, is there any chance he’ll play there at some point for the first team or is he only a left-back now?
Click to expand...
that's correct, throughout his time with adelaide city as junior he was a midfielder (just like his dad) - there were times he got pushed out to the left hand side of the pitch though.

never say never, (if there was an injury crisis then yes) but he a LB now
 
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