Thai Premier League sides SCG Muang Thong United and Chonburi failed to reach the AFC Champions League group stage after humiliating away defeats last night.
Chonburi's Pokklaw Anan, right, in action against FC Tokyo.
Chonburi were hammered 9-0 by FC Tokyo while Muang Thong lost 3-0 at Shanghai SIPG in their final play-off matches.
These losses leave TPL champions Buriram United as the only Thai team in this year’s ACL.
The Thunder Castle are in Group F along with Sanfrecce Hiroshima of Japan, FC Seoul from South Korea and Sandong Luneng of China.
FC Tokyo will play against South Korea’s Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, Jiengsu of China and Becamex Binh Duong of Vietnam in Group E.
Big spenders Shanghai SIPG, coached by former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, are up against Melbourne Victory of Australia, South Korea’s Suwon Samsung and Gamba Osaka of Japan in Group G.
At Tokyo, new signing Takuma Abe led the way for Hiroshi Jofuku’s side at Ajinomoto Stadium, where Keigo Higashi, Ryoichi Maeda, Takuji Yonemoto, Kota Mizunuma and Hiroki Kawano (two) were also on target.
Tokyo, who are back in the ACL for the first time since 2012, were helped by a pair of Chonburi own goals.
Chonburi couldn’t have got off to a worse start as the visitors fell behind after just six minutes with an own goal.
Rodrigo Vergilio was the culprit, redirecting a Mizunuma corner into his own net to gift the hosts, who quickly doubled their lead three minutes later through Abe’s first strike in a Tokyo shirt.
Jofuku’s men all but decided the game with their third in the 34th minute, when Higashi hit the back of the net from a low cross by Yuhei Tokunaga.
Chonburi had one single opportunity at the 24th-minute mark after referee Kim Jong-Hyeok awarded them a questionable free-kick on the edge of the box, but Leandro Assumpcao hit straight into the wall.
Tokyo continued to pour it on in the second half, Maeda handing them a 4-0 lead in the 54th minute before Yonemoto nodded in the fifth goal for the home side a minute later.
Mizunuma netted to make it 6-0 one minute past the hour and Kawano joined the long list of scorers after 73 minutes to push Tokyo up by seven.
Another own goal six minutes from time made it 8-0, and Kawano converted a penalty in the 92nd minute to complete the rout.
At Shanghai, the hosts went on the attack from the start forcing Muang Thong goalkeeper Kawin Thamsatchanan to make a couple of fine saves.
Ghana international Asamoah Gyan came close to scoring for the home team before Wu Lei gave Shanghai the lead just before half-time with a fierce long-range drive.
Muang Thong played better in the opening stages of the second half but failed to break Shanghai’s defence.
As the Kirins were trying to get an equaliser, Dario Conca dashed their hopes with his team’s second goal in the 82nd minute.
Wu then put the result beyond any doubt three minutes from time.
