Teams from Japan, Australia and China stormed to winning starts in the opening group games of the AFC Champions League Wednesday, but there was heartbreak for Southeast Asian hopes. J-League champion Kashima Antlers throttled Thailand's Krung Thai Bank 9-1 in Bangkok, while China's Changchun Yatai scored a narrow 2-1 home victory over leading Vietnamese side Binh Duong. Second-half goals from Yan Xiangchuang, Du Wenhui and Zhang Shuai ensuredChina's other team in Asia's top club competition, Beijing Guoan, romped to a comfortable 3-1 win over Vietnam's Nam Dinh in Hanoi. In Australia, Melbourne Victory launched their first Champions League campaign with a 2-0 beating of South Korea's Chunnam Dragons. Central defenders Kevin Muscat and Rody Vargas scored the goals in each half in Victory's first competitive match since mid-January. Captain and former Socceroo defender Muscat scored with a penalty in the 29th minute, meaning the former Glasgow Rangers and Millwall hardman has never missed from the spot in his three-year Victory career. The second goal came in the 64th minute, with Vargas heading home a cross from new signing Billy Celeski. It was stellar night for Australia with Adelaide United blazing to an upset 2-0 win over K-League champion Pohang Steelers in Korea, with goals from Robert Cornthwaite and Bruce Djite. The victory came despite Adelaide playing for much of the game with 10 men after Gyawe Salley was sent off on the stroke of half-time. In Bangkok, Krung Thai Bank was out of its depth. It is only in the competition because Indonesian sides were barred over the late completion of their league and cup competitions, and it showed. Yuzo Tashiro, Marquinhos and Takuya Nozawa all scored twice for the Antlers as they made an emphatic statement of their intent, buoyed by Urawa Reds becoming the first ever Japanese team to win the title last year. They join the competition at the knockout stage. It was a lucky escape for Japan's other Champions League side, Gamba Osaka, which needed an injury time equalizer from Brazilian striker Lucas to rescue a 1-1 draw against Thai champions Chonburi. A Chinese team has never won the Champions League but Changchun make a solid start with defender Cui Wei netting a second-half winner to give them three points. __
