TOKYO - SOUTH Korea's Pohang Steelers won the Asian Champion's League title Saturday, beating Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad 2-1 in the final for a record third continental title.

Forward No Byung Jun scored from a free kick in the 57th minute, with his shot finding a gap in the Saudi wall.

Nine minutes later, Kim Jae Sung's free kick found defender Kim Hyung Il, who headed into the top left corner to set Pohang on its way to a place in the Club World Cup to play against the likes of Barcelona.

'It was a tough match. The quality of Al Ittisad's play is very high,' said Sergio Farias, Pohang's Brazilian coach. 'In the second half, we were able to regain control of the ball, but they marked us closely. Probably their weakness was that they didn't do well against our set pieces.'

Al Ittihad, also going for its third Asian title, pulled a goal back in the 74th minute when Mohammed Noor poked the ball home after Korean goalkeeper Shin Hwa Yong could only parry a close-range header from Tunisian international Amine Chermiti.

Both sides threatened in the closing minutes of the match at Tokyo's National Stadium, but the Saudi side - dubbed 'K-League Killers' by Korean media for its past mastery of South Korean clubs - failed to find an equaliser. The victory for Pohang added to its titles in 1997 and 1998. -- AP