The Brazilian, who joined the Chinese Super League club during the close season, gave the home side the lead in the second minute while Powell Obinna Obi’s red card five minutes later left already-qualified Kobe with a mountain to climb.
Shinichi Chan hit his side’s second in first half injury time before Mineiro scored in the 48th and 70th minutes secured Shenhua the win needed to maintain their slim chances of a place in the next phase. Niina Tominaga and Haruya Ide netted a late consolations for the visitors.
Victory moves Shenhua onto 10 points and into the qualifying places ahead of Wednesday’s matches, when Shanghai Port face Yokohama F Marinos and Shandong Taishan play Ulsan HD, with both Chinese clubs still in contention.
Shenhua could not have made a better start, Mineiro heading in unopposed from five yards out at the far post with fewer than two minutes on the clock as Gao Tianyi’s corner sailed over the much-changed Kobe defence.
Matters went from bad to worse for the visitors, who were fielding an inexperienced side with their progress assured, as Obi was sent off for inexplicably crashing into Andre Luis 35 yards from goal.
Needing a win to have any hope of reaching the next round, Shenhua sought to make the most of their advantage.
Luis headed over the bar in the 20th minute while Chan was off target soon after, and Luis missed again after seeing Yang Haoyu’s strike saved by Kobe’s replacement goalkeeper Shota Arai.
Mineiro should have claimed his side’s second in the 37th minute when he outpaced the defence to latch onto Wu Xi’s pass forward but, with only Arai to beat, he shot across the face of goal.
Kobe had a rare sortie forward with the half entering the final five minutes, Bao Yaxiong pushing Yuta Koike’s shot wide before dropping to his right to deny Mitsuki Hidaka at the resulting corner.
Luis’ header clipped Arai’s right post as Shenhua closed the half out on top and the hosts finally claimed the second when Chan’s low left-foot drive was deflected past the Kobe goalkeeper.
The third came three minutes after the restart, Mineiro pouncing inside the six yard box to net when Arai parried Luis’ downward header and the forward completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute, netting from the spot after a handball by Takuya Iwanami.
Tominaga scored on the turn from the edge of the area to earn a Kobe consolation with three minutes left and Ide headed in a second in injury time but there was no denying Shenhua’s superiority.
