Sydney FC's dream Asian Champions League debut is over - but only after the Blues gave Japanese champions Urawa Red Diamonds a massive fright at a packed Saitama Stadium.

The inaugural A-League champions dominated for long stages but failed to land the killer blow as Urawa ground out a 0-0 draw to secure top spot in group E and a berth in the ACL quarter-finals.

Sydney needed to win to overtake the Reds and advance to the knockout stages.

But they were left to rue several missed opportunities, most notably David Zdrilic's blown free header late in the first half.

The Blues failed to score in their final two games of the six-round group stage.

But the fact they finished just one point off topping a group featuring two of the biggest clubs in Asia - Urawa and China's Shanghai Shenhua - in their first crack at ACL football, cannot be underestimated.

It has been a superb effort.

And one which has only strengthened Australia's high standing in Asian football.

The clash had been billed as the biggest game for an Australian club in the sport's history.

Sydney were greeted by a sea of red shirts as they stepped onto the pitch in front of more than 50,000 passionate Urawa supporters at Saitama Stadium - a venue where the Reds had lost just one of their past 31 games.

But Branko Culina's charges showed no signs of stage fright, and after surviving Shinji Ono's acrobatic attempt at goal in the 19th minute, should have taken the lead in the 35th.

Alex Brosque's pin-point cross found Zdrilic all alone in the box, but the former Socceroos striker fluffed his header from five metres to give goalkeeper Ryota Tsuzuki the tamest of stops.

Soon after Sydney `keeper Clint Bolton - keen to make amends after his blunder allowed Urawa to snatch a 2-2 draw earlier in the campaign - pulled off his first real save of the night to deny a cracking Robson Ponte shot.

The Reds defended strongly in the second half, forcing Sydney to shoot from long range.

Mark Milligan's volley from 25 metres flew just over the bar, before David Carney's swerving left-foot strike from the edge of the area swung agonisingly wide of the right post.

Steve Corica - after four goals in the competition - had one final chance for glory when Sydney received a free-kick just outside the area, but his shot deflected off the wall.

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