Urawa were looking to maintain top spot in Group E with a third win in four games.

But instead it is Sydney who closed in on top slot after their 3-0 win over Persik Kediri, with Urawa now just one point clear.

Urawa failed to break the deadlock as Yuki Abe headed against the crossbar and Makoto Hasebe was denied by a reflex save by Shenhua goalkeeper Wang Dalei.

The Japanese champions were reduced to 10 players for the final 15 minutes after skipper Nobuhisa Yamada was controversially sent off by Omani referee Mahmood Al Ghatrifi for apparent time wasting.

Shenhua had failed to earn a point from their opening three games in the AFC Champions League, but it was the Chinese side that showed the greater attacking intent in a dour opening half.

Skipper Jiang Kun blazed over early on and Liu Zhiqing squandered the best chance of the half in the seventh minute, heading over from six yards out after a low cross from the right by Xie Hui had eluded Urawa goalkeeper Ryota Tsuzuki.

A Xie Hui shot from range in the 12th minute was easily kept out by Tsuzuki while Jiang Kun should have done better midway through the half as he headed over.

Wang Dalei was rarely called into action in the first half, easily stopping a Yamada shot from distance in the fifth minute and a weakly-struck Washington free kick after 16 minutes.

Abe had a quiet first half although he could have done better 10 minutes before the break as he got behind the Shenhua defence on the left flank but dragged his shot across goal.

Urawa began the second half strongly and very nearly went ahead six minutes after the break when Abe rose to meet a Robson Ponte corner with a firm header that rocked the Shenhua crossbar.

However, Abe's header would be one of few efforts of note in the second half as both teams laboured to create chances.

Urawa goalkeeper Tsuzuki was called into action only once to push aside Jiang Kun's stinging free-kick from 30 yards, while his counterpart, Wang, had little to do for much of the half.

With 15 minutes remaining, Urawa were reduced to 10 men when Yamada received his marching orders after he was shown his second yellow card by the referee for taking his time over a throw-in.

Despite the man advantage, Shenhua were unable to carve out any further threats on the Urawa goal and the visitors could have stolen the game in the final minute when Makoto Hasebe met Tadaaki Hirakawa's cross with a diving header that was kept out by an excellent reflex save by Wang.