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Strange as it sounds, Adelaide United’s effort to reach Asian club football’s summit was made even more remarkable by the way Japan’s Gamba Osaka systematically destroyed them in the Asian Champions League final.
Underresourced, undermanned, and underdogs to better-heeled rivals in virtually every ACL match they played, the Reds getting to the final in just Australia’s second Champions League campaign is one of this nation’s finest soccer achievements.
But like the vast majority of the lower division English teams who occasionally battle their way into an FA Cup final, United’s shoestring snapped on the big day.
The Reds had played their final by reaching it. They were beaten by a far better, far more technically proficient side.
Gamba Osaka are worthy champions of Asia. Their slick pass-and-move football was super to watch.
In terms of quality of play, it was men versus boys stuff which mirrored the respective ages of the leagues the teams came from – the 16-year-old J-League and our four-year-old A-League.
There is literally a generation of difference.
A gulf which hopefully will be bridged as the A-League matures, and our Dutch-influenced coaching gives Generation Next the technical skills which have been neglected at junior level for so long.
Australian soccer has been given plenty to learn from by Adelaide’s Asian adventure, both in terms of football quality and logistics.
Adelaide have made Japanese clubs now look seriously at Australian players, keen to make the most of a J-League rule change for next season allowing each club one Asian import.
While technically excellent midfielders are Japan’s speciality, goalkeepers, big defenders and pacy attackers are more at a premium.
Australia can certainly provide all these. Adelaide’s Eugene Galekovic, Sasa Ognenovski and Travis Dodd have put themselves on the radar.
Every other A-League club has players of similar quality. They can now all consider themselves on notice. Especially with a salary cap restricting how much players can be paid here.
The magnitude of United’s defeat will inevitably cause some to revive the finals choker tag Adelaide have worn since the 2006 A-League final loss to Melbourne Victory.
That would be grossly unfair.
United didn’t choke. If anything, they have raised Australia’s respect level still further and burnished its image within the vast Asian Football Confederation.
As many at the highest echelons of Australian football will tell you privately, winning friends and influencing people is not always easy in Asia.
United have been combative, competitive and have shown class off the field.
They may not have won the war, but they’ve at least won one battle for Australia, and have set the benchmark for others.
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