Sydney’s prospects of making the Asian Champions League knockout phase have nosedived, the home side crashing to a 3-0 loss to Japanese side Kashima Antlers at the Sydney Football Stadium on Wednesday night.
It was Sydney’s first home loss in an ACL game and left them in a parlous position with all three of their remaining games offshore.
Kashima joined Korean side Suwon on five points in the four-team group, with Sydney and China’s Shanghai Shenhua both three points further back at the halfway stage.
Midfielder Takuya Nozawa lashed the ball home from close range in the 41st minute for the first goal and provided the cross for unmarked Brazilian Gabriel to head home early in the second half.
Shinzoh Koroki blasted home a third just before the end.
With their two most creative players in Nicky Carle and David Williams out injured, Sydney struggled to create clear cut chances.
Sydney’s main threat was the aerial presence of striker Bruno Cazarine.
In the first half, the big Brazilian had a stooping header comfortably saved and powered another one just wide from a corner.
He was narrowly off target with another aerial attempt after the break and had a shot saved just before Kashima scored their third goal.
Kashima threatened more at ground level, with classy midfielder and skipper Mitsuo Ogasawara and Toru Araiba going close before Nozawa broke the deadlock.
With Carle and Williams out and defender Sebastian Ryall hurt, Sydney coach Vitezslav Lavicka gave a first ACL start to Dimi Petratos and Rhyan Grant and recalled Shannon Cole.
Chances were at a premium early on in front of a third straight ACL crowd of just over 7,000 at the SFS.
Lavicka made a change at halftime, bringing on defender Andrew Durante for Stephan Keller, who suffered an ankle injury.
For all their industry and purpose, Sydney lacked the guile to unlock a Kashima defence which has conceded just one goal in their three ACL games.
Both coaches pointed to the absence of Sydney’s injured stars and suspended skipper Terry McFlynn as a factor in the game.
“To miss four at the beginning and just after the start of the game the centre back was also injured so this gave some facility to Kashima to control the game,” Kashima coach Oswaldo de Oliveira said.
Lavicka said his players had given maximum effort but admitted Kashima were of a different quality and probably the best side he has faced as Sydney coach.
“We started the game well, we played organised, but the game was decided late in the first half and early in the second half,” Lavicka said.
“The boys worked hard, but quality was the difference, because without the best quality players it’s difficult.”.
Acting Sydney skipper Stuart Musialik said Kashima were a step up in class from the other two teams in the group.
“They were just a lot sharper in pressurising us,” Musialik said.
Lavicka said Sydney would not give up on making the knockout phase and would have McFlynn back for next Tuesday’s game in Shanghai.
He was hopeful Carle and Ryall would be fit, but said it was hard to assess Williams’ chances and that Keller had only a small chance of making the trip.
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