ADELAIDE, Australia, Oct 8, 2008 (AFP) - Adelaide United took a strong grip on their AFC Champion's League semi-final against Uzbekistan's Kuruvchi with a 3-0 first leg victory at home here on Wednesday.

Adelaide raised their hopes of becoming the first Australian team to reach the ACL final with three second-half goals against the Rivaldo-led Kuruvchi.

The Reds will take a handy buffer to Tashkent for the second leg on October 22 and a shot at the two-leg final next month.

The match turned in the 57th minute with a goal made in Brazil when Cassio's cross from the left was chested down by Diego who beat Kuruvchi goalkeeper Pavel Bugalo from close range.

The goal fired up the home team and midfielder Fabian Barbiero scored his first Asian competition goal in the 76th minute after more superb lead-up work from Diego and Cassio.

Diego cheekily back-heeled to give compatriot Cassio the space and time to lob in another cross for Travis Dodd to set up Barbiero's header past Bugalo.

Adelaide got a crucial third goal when Cassio was brought down by Timur Kapadze in the 89th minute for a penalty which Adelaide's third Brazilian import, Cristano, converted.

'We struggled in the first half and looked a bit tired,' Adelaide coach Aurelio Vidmar said.

'But at half-time I told them to play more direct and put as many balls in the box as possible and the goals came out of that.

'After Diego's opening goal we settled down a lot.'

The Uzbeki championship leaders, who had looked in control up to Diego's opener, had more shots at goal and corners than Adelaide, but paid the price for their poor finishing.

Former World Player of the Year Rivaldo, 36, was largely anonymous and had little say in the match, while fellow legendary Brazilian Zico will have a major task as coach in turning around their fortunes in the return home leg.

Kuruvchi had an early setback when their Chilean striker Jose-Luis Villanueva came off with an apparent hamstring injury just before half-time, making way for substitute Ulugbek Bakaev.