The temperature may have been 3°C at the Steelyard in South Korea but Adelaide United ran hot as Qantas Under 23 duo Robert Cornthwaite and Bruce Djite both found the back of the net to secure all three points.

The Reds headed to Korea hoping to take at least a point from the match and the team could have been excused to have taken awhile to acclimatise to the chilly conditions. However, in just the 3rd minute of the match United shocked the Steelers with the opening goal. Lucas Pantelis swung in a corner and Cornthwaite’s 195cm figure rose above the Pohang defence to head the ball in from close range.

Pohang’s attempted response came from Brazilian striker Denilson in the 11th minute with a shot from range, but it cannoned into the side netting as United keeper Eugene Galekovic had his near post covered.

Adelaide United looked more like the home team as they had over 60 per cent of the possession in the opening stages, but the Steelers began to gain momentum when a deflected Denilson effort hit the bar in the 19th minute.

Searching for an equaliser, Pohang began to increase the tempo and the yellow cards began to mount for Adelaide United as Corthwaite, Richie Alagich and Jonas Salley were all booked.

On the stroke of half time Adelaide paid dearly when Salley received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away after the home side was awarded a free kick, The Reds reduced to 10 men. A Galekovic save and then the woodwork kept the score 1-0 going into the break as United knew it had a challenge on its hands to hold onto its advantage.

Pohang came out with all guns blazing in the second half as Denilson and Namkung Do caused United problems at the back but a determined defence and Galekovic were equal to the task.

Then in the 60th minute against the run of play United went two goals to the good when Jason Spagnuolo attempted to control a searching Cassio ball inside the box, but it fortuitously dissected a Pohang defender and the goal keeper into the path of Djite, who slotted the ball into an empty net to give United a two goal lead.

The home side was dominating the second 45 minutes with the extra player on the field, but the Reds defended stoutly soaking up the pressure and leaving the home side frustrated.

Pohang’s frustration boiled over in the 82nd minute when Won-jae Park received his second yellow card for a late challenge on Diego. Adelaide United was off to a winning start in the 2008 AFC Champions League, the result all the more significant away from home against the Korean Champions in front of 8,500 fans.

Adelaide United Coach Aurelio Vidmar said after the game that it was a fantastic team effort and that all of the hard work the squad had put in over the last five weeks had paid off tonight.

The Reds now have a week to get ready to face Chinese Champions Changchun Yatai at Hindmarsh Stadium in what will be a must win game to make last night’s result count.