Wanderers veteran Mark Bridge predicts ACL drought for a A-League clubs

Mark Bridge believes the A-League has not only not kept up with Asia, but stagnated to the extent an Australian club is unlikely to lift the trophy in the foreseeable future.

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Mark Bridge still remembers Western Sydney’s Asian Champions League triumph like it was yesterday.

And the veteran forward has spent the four years since observing Asia’s inexorable upward trajectory.

It’s one in stark contrast to an A-League he believes has not only not kept up, but stagnated to the extent an Australian club is unlikely to lift the trophy in the foreseeable future.

Bridge was a key part of Tony Popovic’s Wanderers outfit that defied all odds to become the 2014 ACL champions.

The remarkable achievement had Australian teams believing it was possible to conquer the continent.

The reality, though, has been sharply different.

Not since Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory made the round of 16 has an A-League club gone past the group stage.

Even this year, the ambitions of a Victory team boasting the likes of Keisuke Honda and Ola Toivonen have already taken a decent hit after losing their opening home match 3-1 to Korean side Daegu FC, while the Sky Blues could only secure a 0-0 draw at home against Korea’s Ulsan Hyundain in their ACL opener.

Wanderers striker Mark Bridge says teams in Asia have moved ahead of Australian sides. Picture: Getty Images

Bridge felt it was simply a reflection of the gulf in standard.

“It’s very difficult to play in Asia,” Bridge said.

"Since our win in the Champions League, Asia has kept improving. Australian football really hasn't, has it. It's sort of stagnated a bit, and the problem lies there.

"What we did was remarkable, it was incredible. But I think it will be a long time before we see an Australian team do that again."

For now, the ACL isn’t a challenge even on the radar of a Wanderers team that’s stuttered in fits and starts through this A-League season but is finally finding some form and hoping to build on a three-game undefeated run including two wins and a dramatic last-gasp draw with leaders Perth Glory.

While the 11 points between Markus Babbel’s side and the top six make finals football unlikely, the objective is to maintain momentum away to fellow strugglers Brisbane Roar on Friday night.

Mark Bridge endured a long injury layoff. Picture: Mark Evans

“The Perth game was very good,” Bridge said.

“It was a good test because we went behind against a very, very good team, a very fit team. So to get a point out of that is a great result.

“We’ll be looking to go to Brisbane this week and try and get another one.”

That 1-1 draw, sealed by Tarek Elrich’s 95th-minute equaliser, doubled as Bridge’s long-awaited return from injury, one he’s determined to build on before retiring at the campaign’s end.

The 33-year-old has profited from a week’s rest due to the split round, feeling fit for the Suncorp Stadium stand-off.

So too have the rest of Babbel’s cohort, and the coach will still have starting trio Keanu Baccus, Tass Mourdoukoutas and Abraham Majok in his arsenal before they leave on Sunday for Olyroos camp in Malaysia.

They’ll only miss one round for next week’s camp, given the first round of Olympic qualifiers in Cambodia falls during a FIFA window.

But Babbel was still displeased to lose all three for the away Wellington game on March 17.

“Three of our players who are playing at the moment are leaving us, so we come in (to) trouble,” Babbel said.

“It's very, very hard to accept this because we are a club who want to bring (through) young players.

“But we lose these players because they are playing for the national team, so it makes no sense for me.”