Late goals cost Glory dear against Ulsan Hyundai for the second time in four days as substitutes Junior Negrao and Kim Insung struck inside the final three minutes to secure a 2-0 win for the Korean side at Education City Stadium.
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Just as they had against the same opponents earlier in the week, Glory looked poised to secure what would have been the club’s first ever point in the AFC Champions League, only to have their resistance ended right at the death.
While naturally disappointed that his side emerged from the game with nothing to show for their efforts, Head Coach Richard Garcia was nonetheless pleased with much of what he saw.
“I thought we weren’t too bad for the first hour, but then slowly dropped off and lost a bit of composure,” he said.
“As the pressure started to mount, we didn’t stand up to it and eventually gave away a silly goal from our free-kick and then copped another.
“So not a great end to the game, but I think the guys did well considering the amount of changes to the team and the schedule we’ve had so far.
“It always helps when you’ve got experienced guys in the side towards the back end of a game and there wasn’t much experience on the pitch at all for us.
“But we’ve got to manage the players’ loads to make sure that we have people fresh for the next game on Monday.
“I thought the young guys did a great job again, but that little bit of fatigue has set in now that the games are coming thick and fast and that concentration for 90 minutes-plus needs to be there.
“That’s something we need to work on in pre-season.”
Garcia handed club debuts to defensive duo Darryl Lachman and Mason Tatafu and first starts to Carlo Armiento, Giordano Colli and Nick Walsh in a side showing eight changes from Tuesday night and all acquitted themselves well in a largely even first-half.
Tando Velaphi was forced to make two fine saves to keep out Bjorn Johnsen and Koh Myongjin, but the closest either side came to scoring before the break was when Armiento turned cleverly on the edge of the box and fired in a fierce strike which drew a world-class stop from Jo Suhuk in the Ulsan goal.
Throughout the second half, however, Glory found themselves increasingly under the pump and were grateful to Velaphi once again just short of the hour-mark as he went full length to tip Johnsen’s looping header onto the post.
The introduction of Negrao and Insung from the bench significantly bolstered the potency of Ulsan’s attack and the latter linked up with the former to give his side the lead in the 86th minute.
After breaking away down the left, last season’s K-League Golden Boot winner slipped in a low cross which Korea Republic international Insung fired past Velpahi.
The Brazilian then got on the scoresheet himself moments later, blasting home from close range after neat approach work from Dongho and Johnsen to leave Glory rueing another cruel finale.
Match Details
AFC Champions League Group F
Ulsan Hyundai 2 (Insung 87′, Negrao 89′) Perth Glory 0
Half-time: 0-0
Education City Stadium, Doha
Referee: Sivakorn Pu-udom (Thailand)
Perth Glory: 1.Tando VELAPHI, 4.Darryl LACHMAN (15.Brandon WILSON 63′), 5.Nicholas WALSH, 11.Declan HUGHES, 13.Osama MALIK (7.Luke BODNAR 66′), 14.Giordano COLLI (9.Bruno FORNAROLI 46′), 23.Dane INGHAM (10.Daniel STYNES 46′), 25.Carlo ARMIENTO, 27.Bryce BAFFORD, 29.Mason TATAFU, 88.Neil KILKENNY (C) (16.Nick SULLIVAN 46′)
Substitutes not used: 3.Jonathan ASPROPOTAMITIS, 17.Diego CASTRO, 22.Joshua RAWLINS, 50.Cameron COOK (GK)
Yellow Cards: Sullivan
Red Cards: None
Ulsan Hyundai: 1.Jo SUHUK, 5.Kim MINDUK, 6.Park JOO HO (C) (2.Jeong DONGHO 63′), 10.Yoon BITGARAM (98.Lee SANGHEON 82′), 17.Kim SUNG JOON (72.Lee CHUNGYONG 61′), 19.Bjorn JOHNSEN, 22.Koh MYONGJIN, 30.Jung HOONSUNG (9.Junior NEGRAO 46′), 44.Kim KEEHEE, 66.Seol YOUNGWOO, 99.Park JEONGIN (7.Kim INSUNG 46′)
Substitutes not used: 3.Jason DAVIDSON, 4.Davy BULTHUIS, 8.Sin JIN HO, 11.Lee KEUNHO, 25.Seo JUHWAN (GK)
Yellow Cards: Chungyong
Red Cards: None
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