Melbourne Victory aim to kickstart their ACL campaign in Japan

Melbourne Victory’s Asian Champions League ambitions go on the line on Tuesday night against Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan.

Melbourne Victory star Keisuke Honda in Hiroshima. Picture: Kazuaki Ono

Melbourne Victory’s Asian Champions League ambitions go on the line on Tuesday night when Keisuke Honda and his teammates take on Sanfrecce Hiroshima in Japan.

Honda is sure to receive a rapturous welcome back to his homeland, having not played a club match in Japan for 12 years.

And the blond-locked midfielder will need to be near his best if Kevin Muscat’s side are to kickstart their continental campaign.

Victory were first-up losers last week to South Korea’s Daegu FC, and a second loss could reduce their hopes of getting though to a mere mathematical possibility.

Given Victory have never won an away match in the competition in seven editions, history is not on their side.

But goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas said the memory of last season’s A-League championship reminded the team of what was possible.

“No team ever won the grand final from fourth,” he said.

“We might as well break something else, break another record.”

Honda has been mobbed by local fans since arriving in Japan on the weekend.

“That blond hair gets spotted. He gets swarmed,” Thomas said. “He’s a huge player and a massive part of Asian football. A lot of people are excited he’s back. We’re expecting a big turnout.”

Sanfrecce finished second in the J-League last season and have Besart Berisha on their books, but the Victory legend won’t be playing as he failed to make their Asian Champions League squad.

Competition regulations allow just four foreigners to play for each side; the same restriction that forced Victory to axe Georg Niedermeier from their list. Sanfrecce were also losers in the opening round of matches, fielding a reserve-strength side in a 2-0 away loss to Guangzhou Evergrande of China.

Muscat wasn’t too downbeat after Victory’s 3-1 loss to Daegu, declaring it just one match of six, and pledging to “roll our sleeves up and have a go” against Sanfrecce.

Thomas said after a five-match winless run, there was no time like the present to get back to winning ways.

“On Tuesday night we’ll turn up with a real confidence and aggression and belief we can get the job done,” he said.

“Be strong for each other, be aggressive … really have each others back. We can put up a big fight.”

Sydney FC are also in Japan this week, giving marquee striker Adam le Fondre the opportunity to tick something of his career bucket list.

A decade and a half into his professional football career, le Fondre is relishing the chance to finally play a competitive game outside the country he’s based in.

Prior to joining the Sky Blues for the current A-League season, 32-year-old le Fondre spent his entire professional career in England, turning out in all four senior divisions, but never got a chance to play a match overseas. A few months after joining Sydney, the chirpy Englishman will run out in an Asian Champions League match against Kawaskai Frontale on Wednesday.

“When I was younger I’ve been to China a couple of times with (my home town club) Stockport when I was a kid and played over there,” le Fondre said in a teleconference from Japan.

“I’ve played a foreign team before but not in competitive football like this … I’ll really relish it.

“A competition like this is prestigious for me to play in.

“I’ve played in England for literally all my career and coming out here was a great risk.

“But I’m seeing this as a massive reward of playing in such a great competition and hopefully showcasing myself as well.”

The A-League’s joint leading scorer with Wellington’s Roy Krishna, le Fondre has netted 14 times in 21 games.

While the Sky Blues were held scoreless in a 0-0 home draw with South Korera’s Ulsan Hyundai last week, le Fondre looked lively and comfortable on his debut in Asian football’s premier club competition.

While a loss on Wednesday would be a big setback for Sydney, le Fondre stressed it wouldn’t do irreparable damage to their chances of advancing from the pool stage.

“We’ve still got four games after that to rectify that, it’s not the end of the world if we do lose,” he said.

He felt his partnership with recently signed Iranian international striker Reza Ghoochannejhad was developing well.

“I think you can see two good footballers who are on the same wavelength and it’s obviously going to keep blossoming and keep moving forward for us,” le Fondre said.

AAP