SEOUL — Dejan Damjanovic scored late for FC Seoul to beat Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahli 1-0 and advance to the Asian Champions League semifinals for the first time Wednesday. Damjanovic took a pass on the right side from Ha Dae-sung and scored into the far corner with just a minute left at Seoul World Cup Stadium. The South Korean champion advanced 2-1 on aggregate. Damjanovic, who spent a season with Al-Ahli in 2006, netted the away goal in the 1-1 draw in Jeddah. Also, Andranik Teymourian scored in the second minute of stoppage time as Iran's Esteghal beat Thailand's Buriram United 2-1 to advance 3-1 on aggregate after last month's 1-0 win in Tehran. Osmar opened the scoring on a header in the 38th for Buriram, and Hanif Omranzadeh equalized in the 53rd. Teymourian sealed Esteghlal's passage with a superb long-range effort that beat Buriram goalkeeper Siwarak. The two-time Asian club champions are seeking to add to the titles won in 1970 and 1991 to join South Korea's Pohang Steelers as the only three-time winners. Later, tournament favorite and Chinese double-holder Guangzhou Evergrande, coached by Marcello Lippi, beat Qatar's Lekhwiya 4-1. Casillas suffers bruised ribs Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas has suffered bruised ribs and his recovery time will depend on how he responds to treatment, the nine-time European champion said after tests Wednesday. The 32-year-old Spain captain should be fit to return to action for their next Champions League outing at home to Copenhagen on Oct. 2, local media reported. Casillas collided with teammate Sergio Ramos in the opening moments of Tuesday's 6-1 Champions League rout of Galatasaray. After trying to play on, he decided to call for Diego Lopez to come on and replace him. It was a bitter blow for Casillas, an ever-present figure in the Real goal for more than a decade, who was returning to play a competitive match for the first time since the beginning of the year when he broke a bone in his hand and lost the number one jersey to Lopez. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has continued where Jose Mourinho left off last season, and started Lopez in their opening four La Liga matches.
And Japan's Emperor's Cup-holders Kashiwa Reysol are locked at 1-1 with Saudi Arabia's Al Shabab ahead of the second leg in Riyadh. — Agencies
