* Al-Hilal drawn in Group C along with Pakhtakor and Tractorsazi Tabriz KUALA LUMPUR — Asian title-holder Guangzhou Evergrande was bracketed with Sydney FC Thursday in what looks like a kind draw for its AFC Champions League title defense next year. The A-League grand finalist is the only known quantity for Luiz Felipe Scolari's well-heeled Chinese champion, which will start as favorite as it seeks a third Asian title in four years. In Group H, Evergrande and Sydney will face whoever is designated Japan's third team after the Emperor's Cup final in Tokyo on Jan. 1, along with the winner of a playoff. A-League champion Melbourne Victory was drawn with Japan's second club and Suwon Samsung Bluewings in Group G, while former winner Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors was in Group E. Among the West Asia groups, Saudi giant Al-Hilal was drawn in Group C along with Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor and Tractorsazi Tabriz of Iran. The group stage runs from February to March with the West and East Asian teams kept apart until the final in November. Next year's finalists will take home double this season's prize money, with the winner getting $3 million and the runner-up $1.5 million. The winner of the second-tier AFC Cup will get $1 million, up from the current $350,000. "The increases in prize money in both the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup will further increase the appeal of these competitions," Asian Football Confederation general secretary Windsor John said in a statement. The AFC added that clubs in the Champions League stand to gain more than $3.5 million in performance bonuses. Group A: Foolad Mobarakeh Sepahan (IRI), Al-Nasr (UAE), Lokomotiv (UZB), Al-Ittihad (KSA)/Al-Wehdat (JOR) Group B: Al-Nasr (KSA), Zobahan (IRI), Lekhwiya (QAT), Bunyodkor (UZB)/Al Shabab (UAE) Group C: Pakhtakor (UZB), Al-Hilal (KSA), Tractorsazi Tabriz (IRI), Al-Jazira (UAE)/Al-Sadd (QAT) Group D: Al-Ain (UAE)/Nasaf (UZB)/Al-Ahli (KSA)/Naft Tehran (IRN) or El Jaish (QAT) Group E: Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (KOR), Jiangsu Sainty (CHN), Becamex Binh Duong (VIE), Winner Playoff 2 Group F: Sanfrecce Hiroshima (JPN), FC Seoul (KOR), Buriram United (THA), Winner Playoff 3 Group G: Melbourne Victory (AUS), Japan's second club, Suwon Samsung Bluewings (KOR), Winner Playoff 4 Group H: Guangzhou Evergrande (CHN), Sydney FC (AUS), Japan's third club, Winner Playoff East 1. — Agencies
