Unheralded Buriram United made history as the first Thai team to reach the AFC Champions League last 16 after a thrilling night's action on Wednesday. The club from provincial Thailand missed a first-half penalty but then twice came back from a goal down - within two minutes each time - to snatch a 2-2 draw with Korean champions FC Seoul.
The result was enough to take Buriram through behind Group E winners Seoul after Japan's Vegalta Sendai, their main rivals for the second qualifying spot, went down 2-1 to Jiangsu Sainty. Buriram and Sendai went into their final group games with identical records, meaning another matching result on Wednesday. At the World Cup Stadium in Seoul, Carmelo Gonzalez should have put Buriram in front from the penalty spot before half-time, but goalkeeper Yu Sang-Hun dived low and to his right to turn the shot around the post.
Another quickfire exchange of goals, in the 74th and 75th minutes, made it 2-2. Kim Hyun-Sung's header from a set-piece was followed by a raking free-kick from Buriram's Theerathon Bunmathan which crept in untouched. In Sendai, Naoki Sugai's opener for the hosts was cancelled out by Liu Jianye in the first half, but Hamdi Salihi popped up on 62 minutes to give Jiangsu a 2-1 lead. Meanwhile in Group F, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors edged fellow former champions Urawa Red Diamonds for a place in the knock-outs when they drew 0-0 with China's Guangzhou Evergrande.
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