SOUTH KOREA WHEN it comes to listing champion clubs of Europe, the names roll off the tongue. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Ajax Amsterdam, AC Milan, Manchester United, Celtic, Barcelona, Juventus, etc, etc. Try naming a few champion clubs of Asia and it's not quite as easy. Verdy Kawasaki (under their pre-J.League name of Yomiuri Nippon), Liaoning (China), Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) and Thai Farmers Bank figure in Asia's roll of honour but the reigning Asian club champions are Ilhwa Chunma FC from South Korea. Formed in 1988, Ilhwa won the Korean League for the first time in 1993, retained the title in 1994 and clinched a hat-trick last year. Further success was just around the corner as the Koreans went on to win the 1996 Afro-Asia Club Championship against African champions Orlando Pirates (South Africa) and the second Asian Super Cup against the holders of the Asian Cup Winners' Cup, Japan's Bellmare Hiratsuka. JAPAN THE fourth J.League season has been on hold since May 18, when the first half of the campaign came to an end after 15 matches. The league will resume on Wednesday with Yokohama Flugels on top with 36 points, four clear of second-placed Kashima Antlers. Then come Urawa Reds (31), Jubilo Iwata (31), Kashiwa Reysol (30) and Nagoya Grampus Eight (30). Verdy Kawasaki, winners of the J.League in 1993 and 1994, lie seventh on 24 points, three points ahead of defending champions Yokohama Marinos, who are led by the 1995 Asian Footballer of the Year, Masami Ihara. Flugels are firmly in the driving seat, though, and appear to have found a good balance between home-grown players and foreign 'legionnaires'. Their three foreign imports are all Brazilian - 1994 World Cup-winning midfielder Zinho, defensive midfielder Cesar Sampaio and centre forward Evair, joint third in the scoring chart with 10 goals. Under new Brazilian manager Otacilio, Flugels have the strength in depth to continue the good work until the season's end on November 9. Elsewhere in Japan, Antlers will resume without the talent of Brazilian international Leonardo, who transferred to Paris St Germain in July. Urawa Reds, thanks in no small measure to Guido Buchwald and Basile Boli, had the meanest defence in the league in the first half of the season, conceding only 17 goals in 15 outings, while Jubilo Iwata may be the team to challenge Flugels. Under Dutch coach Hans Ooft, Jubilo's foreign contingent of Gerald Vanenburg (Netherlands), Dunga (Brazil) and Salvatore Schillaci (Italy) are combining well with Japanese internationals Nobuhiro Takeda (ex-Verdy), Hiroshi Nanami and Toshiya Fujita. Fixtures for August 28: Antlers v Jef Utd, Kashima; Reysol v Gamba, Kashiwa; Flugels v Grampus Eight, National Stadium; Bellmare v Avispa, Hiratsuka; S-Pulse v Reds, Nihondaira; Purple Sanga v Marinos, Kyoto Nishikyogoku; Cerezo v Verdy, Osaka Nagai; Sanfrecce v Jubilo, Hiroshima Big Arch. SINGAPORE SINGAPORE Armed Forces FC lead the second stage of the inaugural S-League with 20 points from eight matches, four clear of Tiong Bahru and Balestier. The Armed Forces are the only unbeaten team in the second stage, known as the Pioneer Series, and are favourites to meet first-stage winners Geylang United in the championship play-off. Attendances are poor, however, and officials have decided to bring forward kick-off times from 8.00 pm to 7.30 pm when the eight-team league resumes on September 17 after next month's Tiger Cup for the 10 Southeast Asia nations. The S-League tournament committee and club representatives felt the earlier kick-off time would draw more fans because it would give them more time to get home and watch English football on TV. Four matches scheduled to be played at the 55,000-capacity National Stadium will now be played at regional venues after the aggregate attendance for the four matches last Tuesday was only 5,062.
