The men plotting Sydney FC’s Asian Champions League campaign

Twelve years later, Ufuk Talay reckons the footage is a bit blurred, but he remembers exactly the moment he put his foot through the ball and stunned a continent.

Sydney FC coach Steve Corica (right) and assistant Ufuk Talay (left) are plotting the Sky Blues’ Asian Champions League campaign. Picture: Tim Hunter.

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Twelve years later, Ufuk Talay reckons the footage is a bit blurred, but he remembers exactly the moment he put his foot through the ball and stunned a continent.

One day short of the 12th anniversary of their Asian Champions League debut, Sydney FC’s two scorers that night — Steve Corica and Talay — are on the bench to mastermind the Sky Blues’ latest ACL instalment.

Sydney opened their Asian account in 2007 with a 2-1 victory away to Shanghai Shenhua that few saw coming, thanks to spectacular goals first-half that silenced the home crowd of 12,000 in freezing conditions.

It’s a memory that both coaches can use to inspire their side on Wednesday night, facing Ulsan Hyundai at the start of the club’s fifth ACL campaign in a group that midfielder Milos Ninkovic has already dubbed the toughest in the competition.

“It’s funny how football works, that Bimbi (Corica) and I score that day, and 12 years later here we are sitting on the bench,” Talay said.

Sydney FC coach Steve Corica (right) and assistant Ufuk Talay (left) are plotting the Sky Blues’ Asian Champions League campaign. Picture: Tim Hunter.

“It feels like a bit more than 12 years, especially when you look at how blurred the video is. But we had a quality team back then which had won the A-League the season before — players like Mark Rudan, Mark Milligan, Dave Carney, David Zrillic.

“Although it was our first season in Asia, that also meant the opposition didn’t know quite what to expect from us either. We knew it was important to get off to a good start, and that lesson is still true today.”

In some ways the efforts to win in Asia are a world apart from that debut campaign, thanks to fitter players and an A-League schedule designed to give respite to the teams taking part in the ACL.

Ufuk Talay in action for Sydney FC against Shanghai Shenhua in the second leg in Sydney in 2007.

Sydney have no game this weekend in between facing Ulsan at home and travelling to Kawasaki Krontale next Wednesday.

“There’s a lot more sports science behind what we do now, the players are fitter, faster and stronger,” said Talay. “We can moderate training loads precisely, and it means the players can back it up, especially with the benefit of a weekend off in the A-League.

“That’s the biggest difference, not having to rush back and play a game immediately.”

Sydney may find a similar advantage in having played three quarters of a season against a side that has only just begun, but they hoped for the same last year and went down 2-0 at home to Suwon Samsung Bluewings in their opening game.

“You have to win your home games it’s as simple as that,” said Talay. “Straight away then you’ve got nine points and you’re on the way out of the group.

“Every time we play we want three points, and the ACL is a challenge we’re looking forward to.”