Western Sydney Wanderers’ Asian Champions League title defence has suffered a massive blow, with a 2-1 home loss to Japan’s Kashima Antlers in heavy rain at Parramatta on Tuesday.
After taking a first-half lead through Nikita Rukavytsya, Wanderers conceded two second-half goals, the second coming in stoppage time.
The result pushed Kashima above the Wanderers, who are now last in their four-team group with just one round remaining.
Western Sydney must now win their final match in China against group leader Guangzhou Evergrande and hope for a favourable result in the other final-round fixture.
While the Wanderers had their chances, Kashima deserved a good result for an enterprising performance after falling a goal behind.
The hardy crowd of just over five thousand who braved Sydney’s `storm of the decade’ watched the Wanderers hit the front when Rukavytsya slotted the ball home after defender Naomichi Ueda made a hash of dealing with a through ball from Wanderers Japanese midfielder Takahagi Yojiro.
Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic was the busier of the two custodians and he made three first-half saves to preserve his team’s lead.
Home striker Kerem Bulut had a shot pushed over the bar, but it was a rare opportunity for the Wanderers.
Kashima continued to push forward after the break and equalised half way through the second half when Shoma Doi cut inside and drilled the ball home with his left foot.
Gabu Shibsaki went close with a free kick for the visitors before Kanazaki Mu made a perfectly-timed run in the first minute of stoppage time to drill home a left wing cross for the winning goal.
After the 0-0 draw between Guangzhou Evergrande and FC Seoul, only one set of results will enable the Wanderers to advance to the last 16.
They must beat Guangzhou and hope Kashima and FC Seoul draw, as a victory for either would eliminate the Australian team.
Speaking before the end of the Seoul-Guangzhou game, Wanderers coach Tony Popovic said it would be difficult to win in China but his team would go into the game believing they could get that result.
Popovic lamented the Wanderers inability to take more of their first-half chances and was disappointed with their second-half fadeout.
“I was concerned, we didn’t take those chances. The second half, they improved, but we weren’t in the game at all,” Popovic said.
“I’m not really sure they improved so much, but we were poor in the second half and the difference was that they took their chances.”
The Wanderers’ prospects in China won’t be helped as they will be missing three players through suspension.
Popovic’s Kashima counterpart, Toninho Cerezo, attributed his team’s victory to better execution in the second half.
On departing his press conference, he gave a fist pump and emitted a celebratory yell.
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
Mathew Leckie played a pivotal part in Melbourne City claiming an 8-nil win; playing a role in several of his team's goals.
The loser of the Sydney Derby will be under immense pressure entering the final three matches of the season.
Anthony Caceres is a player with immense talent and has a fantastic work rate, broke the deadlock against the Mariners in the 74th minute.
Western Sydney coach Marko Rudan says his side have recaptured their edge after breaking their Campbelltown Stadium hoodoo with a 3-1 clobbering of cross-town…
