Asian Champions League: Suwon Bluewings beat Sydney FC 2-0
CONQUERING Asia seems a rather different proposition to steamrollering the A-League.
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CONQUERING Asia seems a rather different proposition to steamrollering the A-League.
Sydney FC’s Asian Champions League campaign got off to the worst possible start, losing 2-0 at home to Samsung Suwon Bluewings in a game they had been confident of winning.
Australia’s champions elect now face an uphill struggle to make progress in the ACL, having prioritized their home performances. Instead they suffered their first defeat at Allianz Stadium in any competition in more than 22 months.
“You have to give credit to Suwon, they were very good,” said a rueful Sydney coach Graham Arnold. “We’ll live and learn from the occasion. The team has learnt the hard way what a step up in class is involved in the Asian Champions League.
“The boys are very disappointed but we’ve come up against a very good side, it’s a wake-up call for players and staff.”
Two goals for the Montenegrin striker Dejan Damjanovic killed Sydney, making him an instant hero with Suwon’s fans after his off-season move from FC Seoul.
With the exception of Aaron Calver in defence, in for the excluded Jordy Buijs, this was Sydney’s first-choice XI, yet the performance was as unconvincing as any they have produced this season.
Sluggish with the ball and ponderous in transition, this was a very different Sky Blue side to the one that has swept all before it in the A-League.
Bewildering numbers of passes went astray, all the more inexplicable from a team of technicians such as Sydney have, especially in attack.
Bobo’s first touch seemed to have taken the night off, to the degree that he made way for the less celebrated talents of Matt Simon with 20 minutes left.
None of which is to take anything away from Suwon, a side still in pre-season and whose only competitive action in 2018 had been the play-offs to get this far in the ACL.
They had the better chances, breaking swiftly, and ultimately deserved the win. Expertly structured in defence they shackled Sydney’s playmakers and punished the home side ruthlessly. All night they simply used the ball better.
They should have led in only the second minute when Calver’s horrible misjudgement of a bouncing ball let in Damjanovic, only for the striker to lift his shot over.
Waguininho also passed up a decent chance, scuffing his shot when well set in first half injury time, and Sydney could hardly claim to have created chances of similar quality.
So when Damjanovic picked up a pass inside and moved towards the box, Sydney’s lack of pressure on the ball invited trouble. The Montenegrin duly shot a powerful strike into the bottom corner from 20m out.
So much for the theory that Sydney would run over the top of their visitors; if anything it was the Sky Blues wilting.
Only Michael Zullo’s miraculous interception stopped Waguininho from adding a second at the far post, but on 75 minutes the spin of the bounce deceived Brandon O’Neill and the ball struck his arm in his own area. Damjanovic converted the spotkick with comfort.