It wasn't quite the goalfest some were perhaps expecting to open the 2009 version of the Pan-Pacific Championship, but Suwon Samsung Bluewings will take the result.
The reigning K-League champion beat Chinese club Shandong Luneng Taishan FC 1-0 Wednesday in the first game of the event at The Home Depot Center.
After 80 minutes of play that featured few scoring opportunities and little excitement on the pitch, Bluewings forward Cho Yong-Tae found the back of the net in the 81st minute to break the scoreless tie.
Cho's score not only gave the South Korean club the win but helped clinch a spot in Saturday's title match against either Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy or J-League champion Oita Trinita.
Shandong will play the losing club in the third-place game.
In its second version, the Pan-Pacific serves as a preseason event for participating teams. Perhaps that is why the Suwon-Shandong affair Wednesday lacked action early on.
The game's only score came when Cho sent a soft rolling shot into an empty net. Shandong goalkeeper Li Leilei was left kicking air when he attempted a sliding tackle on Bluewings defender Lee Kwan-Woo just outside the penalty area.
Lee leaped over Leilei then sent a short rolling pass to Cho, completing a counter attack fueled by quick touch-and-go passes.
The Bluewings held momentum for most of the second half after coach Cha Bum-Kun went to his bench. He substituted Lee and Cho at the start the second half.
Suwon outshot Shandong 10-5 with most of those coming in the second half. Shandong survived a series of Bluewings shots late in the match, including a Cho blast from about 25 yards out in the 75th minute.
Lee could have had a second score if it wasn't for Li's left fist. He redirected Cho's shot with a punch, sending it to his left just wide of the post.
Wide right, wide left. That was the story for Shandong strikers early in the match.
Li Jinyu sent a header just wide of Bluewings left post in the 15th minute. That was the Chinese Super League champion's clearest attempt at goal before Li Jinyu sent another header wide left 12 minutes later.
Shandong would not create another play threatening the Bluewings' goal until Yong-Tae had his blast stopped by Leilei.
Shandong came into the Pan-Pacific opener after falling in three one-sided scrimmages, all against MLS teams. Shandong lost to Chivas USA 5-1, Seattle Sounders FC 2-0 and Real Salt Lake 8-0.
Ivan Orozco is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
Match 1
02.18.2009: The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
Attendance: tba
SUWON SAMSUNG-SHANDONG LUNENG - 1-0 (0:0)
SUW: 35-YONG-TAE Cho (81') assist: 30-SUNG-HYEON Choi
SUWON (NAME-LAST, First): 1-WOON-JAE Lee; 2-WEIFENG Li, 3-SANG-MIN Yang, 5-HYUN-BEM Park, 14-DAE-KEON Kim (13-KWAN-WOO Lee 46'), 25-SUNG-HWAN Choi, 20-JI-HOON Baek (12-HYUN-JIN Lee 46'), 9-DE OLIVEIRA Eduardo Goncalves, 11-DAE-EUI Kim (Capt.), 16-KI-JONG Bae (35-YONG-TAE Cho 68'), 27-DONG-HYEON Seo (30-SUNG-HYEON Choi 46')
DNP: 23-ALVES JUSTINO Jorge Luiz, 31-HO-JIN Park, 33-TAE-MIN Park,
Manager: BUM-KUN Cha
SHANDONG (NAME-LAST, First): 1-LEILEI Li; 4-CICHERO Alejandro, 28-HAO Wu, 2-JINDONG Liu, 5-CHANG Shu (Capt.), (21-ZHAO Liu 10'), 12-WEI Li, 8-ZIVKOVIC Aleksandar, 10-MRDAKOVIC Milijan (17-CHENG Wan 89'), 14-WEIWEI Yuan, 24-ZHENG Lu, 29-JINYU Li
DNP: 16-YAO Gao, 19-CHI Zhang, 22-CHENG Yang, 23-XIAOFENG Geng, 26-NINGNING Xia
Manager: TUMBAKOVIC Ljubisa
Booked:
SHANDONG: 14-WEIWEI Yuan (21')
SHANDONG: 10-MRDAKOVIC Milijan (30')
SHANDONG: 28-HAO Wu (40')
SUWON: 2-WEIFENG Li (47+')
SHANDONG: 2-JINDONG Liu (52')
Statistics:
Shots: SUWON 24 (10), SHANDONG9 (5)
Saves: SUWON 0 (0), SHANDONG6 (2)
Fouls: SUWON 7 (5), SHANDONG15 (9)
Corners: SUWON 7 (3), SHANDONG0 (0)
Offsides: SUWON 4 (2), SHANDONG4 (2)
R: Baldomero Toledo
A1: Fabio Tovar
A2: Ian Anderson
FO: Baldomero Toledo
