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The Central Coast Mariners had no answer to the talent assembled so expensively by Guangzhou Evergrande, tumbling out the Asian Champions League on Wednesday with a 3-0 defeat in China.
Manager Graham Arnold had stressed the importance of keeping a clean sheet if his side was to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit in the round of 16, but Brazilian midfielder Muriqui put Guangzhou ahead in only the seventh minute.
Dario Conca made it 2-0 with a penalty in first-half injury time at Guangzhou’s Tianhe Stadium and the Argentine midfielder set up China international Gao Lin for the third goal midway through the second half.
The 5-1 aggregate defeat represented a disappointing end to a triumphant season for the Mariners, who can look back on a first A-League title, an end to Grand Final heartbreak and a first ever appearance in the knock-out stages of the ACL.
It was also a sad way for Patrick Zwaanswijk to bow out, the Dutch defender wearing the captain’s armband for the final half hour of his career before retiring to take up a coaching position.
Things might have been different had Michael McGlinchey’s goal-bound shot turned into a 30th-minute equalizer rather than being deflected onto a post by a defender’s sliding challenge.
Guangzhou might also have been down to 10 men shortly before half-time when Sun Xiang made a dangerous, late tackle on McGlinchey, but the referee handed out only a yellow card.
Guangzhou looked a different side to that which needed a Mariners mistake, a lucky bounce and a late goal to win the first leg.
In the seventh minute, a back heel from Gao split the defence and Muriqui did the rest, slipping a low finish past Mat Ryan for his eighth goal in eight ACL matches.
Conca side-footed wide with only Ryan to beat following some great build-up work and the home side enjoyed plenty of possession before winning a penalty for Bernie Ibini’s challenge on Muriqui.
Conca converted for 2-0 at the break, the first time in eight Asian Champions League matches that the Mariners have trailed.
Ryan saved from Muriqui early in the second half and Gao shot wide with only the keeper to beat before latching on to Conca’s through ball and lashing it past Ryan.
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