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Adelaide United skipper Travis Dodd admitted he and his teammates felt like they were playing against 15 players in their Asian Champions League final ritual slaughter by Japan’s Gamba Osaka.
The J-League side torched United over the two legs of the final to decide Asia’s club champions, sealing a 5-0 aggregate win with a 2-0 second leg win at Hindmarsh Stadium tonight.
Dodd said his A-League outfit had given everything, but were simply outclassed by a better side to bring their brave run through the ACL to a disappointing end.
“It seemed like they had 15 players out there,” Dodd said.
“They found space, their movement off the ball was unbelievable and they’re easily the best team we’ve played in this competition.
“It’s been a long physical and mental journey. It’s bitterly disappointing to lose any game but a final is especially bad.”
Dodd helped spark a second half revival of sorts by United, who faced an improbable task to score six second half goals tonight to win the final after conceding two inside the first 15 minutes tonight.
United were brought undone by their rivals’ clear skill advantage – the Reds’ pluck no match for the technically gifted Japanese side’s ability to play crisp pass-and-move football.
Dodd, who is believed to be in the sights of J-League champions Kashima Antlers following his impressive ACL performances, admits there is a clear performance gulf between Australian and Japanese club football.
“There is a gap, but the league’s only four years old, so there’s room for improvement,” Dodd said.
The Reds now must front up 72 hours after their big stage disappointment for an A-League fixture against Central Coast at Gosford on Saturday night.
Adelaide sit second in the A-League with a match in hand and can rejoin Melbourne Victory at the top of the table with maximum points against the Mariners in a match postponed because of their ACL commitments.
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