Shandong Luneng ties with Buriram United in ACL opener

Liu Binbin, left, of Shandong Luneng celebrates after scoring a goal during their 2014 AFC Champions League game against Buriram United of Thailand in Jinan, Shandong province, Feb 25, 2014. [Photo/icpress.cn]

JINAN - It should have been a 1-0 victory for Shandong Luneng in opener of 2014 AFC Champions League (ACL); however, substitute Adisak Kraisorn of Buriram United scored the equalizer for the visitors Tuesday in Group E.

Both sides showed great desire to win the opener from the very beginning. The visiting Buriram started to shoot at 3 minutes into the match with a freekick by Suchao Nutnum, and Luneng's goalkeeper Wang Dalei saved the goal.

Luneng's three South American players drawed a lot attention, but it took 24 minutes for Luneng's Brazilian striker Vagner Love to make a shot, which missed the goal.

As 2013 quarterfinalists, Buriram United nearly scored to gain advantage in the first half. They started strongly at the beginning of the second half with Gonzalez's shot, which was also denied by Wang Dalei.

Football fan dies while watching live match A football fan from Weihai, Shandong province, suddenly went into a coma while sitting in the stands watching the group game of Asian Champion League between Luneng and Buriram on Tuesday. The man was immediately sent to the hospital but died within two hours. [More]

Thereafter, Brazilian striker Aloisio of Luneng missed the penalty, which probably forced coach Cuca to change some players. Substitute Liu Binbin made appearance at 78 minute. Liu's goal at 83rd minute seemed to secure a win for the host team.

But in the dying minutes of the match, substitute Adisak scored the equalizing goal for Buriram United.

"I am disappointed with the result; we should have taken three points," Cuca said at the after-match press conference.

"My boys just played several matches as a team, so it is normal for them to to take some time to get used to each other's pace. It is natural, and they need time, because time will prove everyting," Cuca believed his team would play better and better.

Shandong Luneng have been drawn into Group E of the 2014 ACL with South Korean league champions Pohang Steelers, Thai league champions Buriram United and fourth-placed J. League side Cerezo Osaka.

Luneng next will play two away matches against Cerezo Osaka and Pohang Steelers.