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11/25/2024 12:57:38 am

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AFC Champions League 2017: Ramires Fires Winner in 1-0 Jiangsu Suning Win Over Jeju United

Jiangsu Suning midfielder Ramires

(Photo : Getty Images) Ramires scored the winning goal in Jiangsu Suning's 1-0 win over Jeju United on Wednesday.

Brazilian midfielder Ramires led Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning FC in a 1-0 win over K League Classic squad Jeju United FC in a group stage match of the 2017 AFC Champions League held on Wednesday at the Jeju World Cup Stadium in South Korea.

The 29-year-old former Chelsea standout buried the winning goal in the 90th minute, helping Jiangsu snatch the win and three points in the Group H standings, Daily Mail Online reported. Ramires was named Man of the Match and he expressed his happiness with a social media post afterward.

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"I'm very happy for having scored our victory goal and being named player of the match!!! Thanks God!!!!" Ramires posted on Instagram with two photos side by side. The first one showed his celebration after the goal while the second flaunted him carrying the Man of the Match trophy.

Jiangsu's victory meant that all Chinese Super League sides have defeated their opening round opponents after Shanghai SIPG nipped FC Seoul, 1-0, and Guangzhou Evergrande demolished Eastern FC, 7-0, in their respective first games.

The Chinese clubs' two wins over South Korean counterparts have created the impression of a "regional power shift" in the Far East. However, Jiangsu manager Choi Yong-soo, himself a Korean, said that it does not necessarily signal a change in power but is simply the result of China's "huge investments" in the sport which are now "already being seen", as per ESPN.

"This is my first time coaching Suning in the Asian Champions League, and I was feeling a bit sensitive because I'm managing a non-Korean team in such a big competition," Choi said. "I had to remind myself to keep calm. I am very happy that we had a good result in this first battle."

"I know both Shanghai SIPG and Jiangsu both won three points against Korean teams, but it doesn't necessarily mean that Chinese football is overwhelmingly better than Korean football," he added. "These two teams have core players who can decide a match and that is an outcome of the heavy investment in football and football culture."

Jiangsu will next face Australian club Adelaide United at their home ground of Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre on Wednesday next week.

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