The 2008 AFC Champions League final was a two-legged football tie to determine the 2008 champions of Asian club football. Gamba Osaka defeated Adelaide United 5-0 on aggregate to take the title. The first leg took place on 5 November 2008 at 19:00 local time (UTC+9) at Osaka Expo '70 Stadium in Osaka, Japan and the second leg took place on 12 November 2008 at 19:30 local time (UTC+10:30) at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia.
It was the first final to feature a club from Australia and the second consecutive season with a Japanese finalist, in 2014 a second Australian club, the Western Sydney Wanderers made the final and won it. The winners, Gamba Osaka, received US$600,000 prize money and qualified to represent Asia in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup, where they were defeated in the semi-finals by Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners Manchester United. Despite losing this final, Adelaide United also qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup by replacing the conventional host country berth, which was provisionally reserved for the J. League champions, and were defeated once again by host team Gamba Osaka in the quarter-finals.
Format The rules for the final were exactly the same as for the previous knockout rounds. The tie was contested over two legs with away goals deciding the winner if the two teams were level on goals after the second leg. If the teams could still not be separated at that stage then extra time would have been played with a penalty shootout taking place if the teams were still level after that.
Route to the final
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
Gamba OsakaRound Adelaide UnitedOpponentResultGroup stageOpponentResult Chonburi1–1 (H)Matchday 1 Pohang Steelers2–0 (A) Chunnam Dragons4–3 (A)Matchday 2 Changchun Yatai0–0 (H) Melbourne Victory4–3 (A)Matchday 3 Bình Dương2–1 (A) Melbourne Victory2–0 (H)Matchday 4 Bình Dương4–1 (H) Chonburi2–0 (A)Matchday 5 Pohang Steelers1–0 (H) Chunnam Dragons1–1 (H)Matchday 6 Changchun Yatai0–0 (A)Group G winner PosTeamPldPts1 Gamba Osaka6142 Melbourne Victory673 Chunnam Dragons664 Chonburi65Final standingsGroup E winner PosTeamPldPts1 Adelaide United6142 Changchun Yatai6123 Pohang Steelers654 Bình Dương61OpponentAgg.1st leg2nd legKnock-out stageOpponentAgg.1st leg2nd leg Al-Karamah4–12–1 (A)2–0 (H)Quarter-finals Kashima Antlers2–11–1 (A)1–0 (H) Urawa Red Diamonds4–21–1 (H)3–1 (A)Semi-finals Bunyodkor2–13–0 (H)0–1 (A)
Pre-final buildup Adelaide United considered applying for permission to play their home leg in a stadium larger than Hindmarsh such as Adelaide Oval or AAMI Stadium but the club eventually decided that it would not be right to play such a big match away from their traditional home despite its smaller capacity.
Final summary
First leg
GAMBA OSAKA: GK 22 Yosuke FujigayaDF 2 Sota NakazawaDF 5 Satoshi Yamaguchi (c)DF 21 Akira KajiMF 7 Yasuhito EndoMF 10 Takahiro FutagawaMF 13 Michihiro Yasuda MF 16 Hayato Sasaki MF 17 Tomokazu Myojin MF 27 Hideo HashimotoFW 9 LucasSubstitutes:GK 1 Naoki MatsuyoDF 3 MineiroDF 6 Yohei FukumotoDF 19 Takumi Shimohira FW 11 Ryuji BandoFW 18 Roni FW 30 Masato Yamazaki Manager: Akira NishinoADELAIDE UNITED: GK 30 Eugene Galekovic DF 4 Angelo Costanzo DF 6 Cássio DF 14 Scott JamiesonDF 18 Robert CornthwaiteDF 19 Sasa OgnenovskiMF 7 Lucas Pantelis MF 8 Kristian Sarkies MF 13 Travis Dodd (c)MF 22 Diego WalshFW 10 CristianoSubstitutes:GK 20 Mark BirighittiDF 5 Michael ValkanisMF 21 Jason Spagnuolo MF 24 Paul ReidMF 26 Fabian BarbieroFW 25 Robert Younis Manager: Aurelio Vidmar
Second leg
ADELAIDE UNITED: GK 20 Mark BirighittiDF 5 Michael Valkanis DF 6 CássioDF 14 Scott JamiesonDF 18 Robert CornthwaiteDF 19 Sasa OgnenovskiMF 8 Kristian Sarkies MF 13 Travis Dodd (c)MF 22 Diego Walsh MF 24 Paul ReidFW 10 Cristiano Substitutes:MF 7 Lucas Pantelis MF 21 Jason Spagnuolo MF 26 Fabian BarbieroMF 27 Matthew MullenFW 25 Robert Younis Manager: Aurelio VidmarGAMBA OSAKA: GK 22 Yosuke FujigayaDF 2 Sota NakazawaDF 5 Satoshi Yamaguchi (c)DF 21 Akira KajiMF 7 Yasuhito Endo MF 10 Takahiro FutagawaMF 13 Michihiro Yasuda MF 16 Hayato Sasaki MF 17 Tomokazu Myojin MF 27 Hideo HashimotoFW 9 LucasSubstitutes:GK 1 Naoki MatsuyoDF 3 MineiroDF 6 Yohei FukumotoDF 19 Takumi Shimohira FW 11 Ryuji Bando FW 18 RoniFW 30 Masato Yamazaki Manager: Akira Nishino
See also 2008 AFC Champions League 2008 FIFA Club World Cup
References
External links AFC Champions League Adelaide United Official Website * Gamba Osaka Official Website