Goal! Weekly Article 8: Asian Champions League Coverage

VICTORY’S ASIAN DREAM OVER

Defeat in Japan eliminates Quarter-Final hopes

By Julius Ross

Melbourne Victory’s Asian Champions League dream is all but over.

After travelling to Japan to face J-League power house Gamba Osaka on match day 4 with their ACL hopes hanging by a thread, Victory needed nothing less than three points.

But Gamba severed the thin thread that had been keeping Victory’s hopes alive, with a 2-0 win in Osaka’s Expo ’70 Stadium, effectively signalling the end of Melbourne’s debut season in Asia.

A double from Gamba striker Masato Yamazaki was enough to inflict a painful defeat on Victory, and condemn the A-League side to bottom place of the Group G table.

Victory are currently languishing seven points behind group leader Osaka, making it mathematically impossible for the side to progress to the quarter-finals.

Ernie Merrick made one change to Victory’s starting line-up for the trip to Japan, replacing defender Steven Pace with midfielder Kaz Patafta, and subsequently employing a more attacking 3-5-2 formation.

Gamba’s vocal home support created a hostile and intimidating atmosphere for the travelling side, and it was the Japanese club who dominated the opening proceedings.

And the home side were rewarded for their dominance in the 31st minute when a well-worked goal, which featured a series of clinical passes by the Japanese side, was rounded off by a simple tap-in by Yamazaki.

Victory’s forward Blagoja Celeski had a chance to level the match only minutes later, but his left-footed long-range effort sailed over the goal.

Danny Allsopp went even closer to an equaliser in the 42nd minute, when he fired past Osaka ‘keeper Naoki Matsuyo, only to see his effort graze the top of the cross-bar.

Victory continued to create openings in the second half, with substitute Tomislav Pondeljak and defender Matthew Kemp close to finding an elusive equaliser.

But Gamba were a persistent threat at the other end, and striker Yamazaki again poked home to make the score 2-0 on 57 minutes, after a dangerous free-kick from Japanese international Yasuhito Endo was poorly dealt with by the Victory back-line.

With the score at 2-0, and Gamba firmly in control, it was proving to be and impossible task for Victory, as Gamba continued to press for a third goal.

At the final whistle came the realisation for Victory that their qualification dreams were now truly over.

Gamba’s passing and possession play had been far superior to Melbourne’s throughout the match and the rainy conditions had compiled further misery on the Victory.

Coach Ernie Merrick conceded that they had been second best to a more experienced Osaka side, who were fielding several Japanese internationals, and that his side had severely missed the likes of injured duo Archie Thompson and Carlos Hernandez up front.

With only two matches remaining, Victory will be only playing for pride in their final group fixtures.

It has been a disappointing campaign for Merrick’s side, with his team claiming only one victory in the group stage, a 2-0 win in the first round against Korea’s Chunnam Dragons.

After such a promising start, Victory’s campaign has dramatically slid downhill, with the A-League club suffering three consecutive losses and conceding nine goals against their Asian opponents, since their opening win.

Victory will look back to the match against Osaka at the Telstra Dome in match day three as the turning point of their group stage drive, when they twice surrendered the lead to the Japanese club to eventually lose 4-3 in what was billed as a crucial clash.

Had they held on at home, Victory may have faced a completely different prospect heading into its final group matches.
Victory’s next match will be an away fixture against Chunnam Dragons in Gwangyang Stadium in Korea on May 7th, and the Melbourne club will be looking to bounce back to finish in a more respectable position on the Group G table.