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  • Diamonds Shine At Campbelltown

    mack

    By mack (edited)

    Tony Popovic disrespected the Asian Champions League by naming a 2nd tier squad for his opening match against Urawa, and the Japanese outfit punished him by handing out a 4-0 drubbing with a second half blitz.

    Despite having just won the Sydney Derby, Popovic rotated his squad, bringing back failed foreign player Artiz Borda, the inconsistent Jumpei Kusukami, while also introducing players who haven't played in months, like Steven Lustica. Popovic also gave a debut to young striker Abraham Majok. The disjointed team managed to ease into the match, getting to the half-time break without conceding, along with Majok scoring only to be ruled out by the offside flag.

    The second half was a disaster, just 10 minutes into the half Lee Tadanari sliced through the inept central defensive pairing, Shinzoh Kohrogi latching onto the through ball and stabbing a toe-poke past Vedran Janjetovic. They doubled their lead almost immediately, Tadanari turning from provider to scorer as he took advantage of an awful giveaway from Janjetovic, as he threw the ball straight to Urawa, they launched an attack that eventually ended with Tadanari firing under the keeper for 2-0.

    The introductions of Mario Shabow, Ryan Griffiths & Shannon Cole did nothing to stem the Red tide, as they went for the jugular, picking up a 3rd goal in the 68th minute. Unlike the Wanderers who wasted every single set piece opportunity on the night, Hamill leapt to try and clear an Urawa corner but he only managed a dangerous flick-on. Urawa defender Makino Tomoaki was left unmarked, he waltzed into the 6 yard box, flung out a boot and connected to send the ball crashing past Jumpei on the line.

    Brazilian forward Rafael da Silva was introduced late in the game, and despite not having the pedigree of his famouse namesake who played for Manchester United, Lyon & the Brazilian national team, Rafael was still good enough to blast a fourth goal past the Wanderers defence by embarrassing Hamill & Janjetovic.

    Despite the high of the Sydney Derby win, this was a pathetic loss, one that started from the moment Popovic decided to play a bit piece team made up of failures, players out of position, debutantes, and men who hadn't seen a competitive match in months.

    How Popovic decided that it was fine for his two fullbacks, several midfielders and goalkeeper to back up after the derby, but not the key central defensive pairing of Cornthwaite & Aspro is beyond me. For a coach who has won the competition, he let himself get humiliated, destroying all the momentum from the weekends Derby victory, just in time for a long plane trip to Perth for the weekend, followed by a long-haul effort to face up with Shanghai SIPG next week.

    The few bright spots were Majok and his debut, Shabow finally getting some gametime, and the long awaited return of Shannon Cole. Everything else was a dismal failure.

    Edited by mack

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    BrightSpark

    I hope we just focus on the a league from now on. We don't have the depth or quality to get out of the group stages. We will get absolutely flogged in China next week, no point burning out the players.

    I don't agree.

     

    I think we should aim to be competitive in every comp we play in.

    FFA Cup, HAL, ACL or Club World Cup, we should never just go there to make up the numbers.

     

    I think that we should give it our ALL for every game.

    That goes for both the Team on the pitch, and the supporters off the pitch.

     

    Most of the team tonight haven't played any serious football all season, let alone playing together as a team.

    I still expected better from a team in the Red & Black Jersey, then to lose 4 zip. But I didn't expected that they would be world beaters on the first game either.

     

    Hopefully the players, the coaching squad and Popa learn from tonight.

    Make the necessary changes, and go to Perth & China hungry for the win.

     

    And hopefully I can pick myself up, figure out how to get tickets into the RBB for the next ACL, and give it my all for 90 minutes.

     

     

    Fear none, Conquer all.

    Link to comment
    DCWSW

    We fielded a second string side tonight, and by the second half were exposed by a Japanese side that are experienced playing together as a team.

     

    Very impressed with the away supporters tonight. They made just as much noise as G.E. and Al Hilal supporters did when they bought out an entire end. Just as loud as the RBB tonight, though they couldn't sustain it for the full 90 like the RBB.

     

     

    The only positive is that we lost our very first ACL home game too.

    And that didn't turn out all that bad. :ninja:

    One of their female active supporters collapsed and had to be attended to in the first half which explains the break of chanting in the first half.... 

    Link to comment
    DCWSW

     

    We fielded a second string side tonight, and by the second half were exposed by a Japanese side that are experienced playing together as a team.

     

    Very impressed with the away supporters tonight. They made just as much noise as G.E. and Al Hilal supporters did when they bought out an entire end. Just as loud as the RBB tonight, though they couldn't sustain it for the full 90 like the RBB.

     

     

    The only positive is that we lost our very first ACL home game too.

    And that didn't turn out all that bad. :ninja:

    One of their female active supporters collapsed and had to be attended to in the first half which explains the break of chanting in the first half.... 

     

    Turns out it was a male supporter. I think he fell off the edge 

    Link to comment
    btron3000

    Every single goal was avoidable if they played with the same level of communication and determination as Saturday night.

     

    But the second, in particular, what is Brendan Hamill doing? He gets a chance in the ACL and that is what he dishes up? He plays the guy onside, then drifts forward as the guy is moving towards goal, giving him the space he needs, doesn't seem to realise that the chipped pass is coming even though it's already in the air, then makes no attempt whatsoever to get across to him.

     

    It's like he's daydreaming the whole time. No urgency whatsoever. Disgusting.

     

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    btron3000

    Well that was a fun game to return to after 4 months away...

     

    It was worth it to see btron cruelly denied by the closing shutters in his quest for a chicken roll moments after Alexander got one though.

    If I wasn't on my phone I'd post an Arnie pic right now.

     

    Signifying you can EAD, not homophobia.

     

     

    Oh yeah, welcome back!

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    Zelinsky

    We had a dismal week after the CCM game. Then came the derby. Then banner-gate started to build and is yet to fully hit us. And now this.

     

    Results in games I've attended this year: 0-4, 2-2 and 0-4.

     

    Considering your track record: luisenrique out. But yeah, welcome back.

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    Smoggy

    We had a dismal week after the CCM game. Then came the derby. Then banner-gate started to build and is yet to fully hit us. And now this.

     

     

    Results in games I've attended this year: 0-4, 2-2 and 0-4.

     

    Considering your track record: luisenrique out. But yeah, welcome back.

    I think 'cock-gate' is the title... Edited by WSWBoro
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    StringerBellend

    Well that was a fun game to return to after 4 months away...

     

    It was worth it to see btron cruelly denied by the closing shutters in his quest for a chicken roll moments after Alexander got one though.

    The chicken roll was good

     

    I dig Campbelltown stadium

    Link to comment
    spectacular291

     

     

    We fielded a second string side tonight, and by the second half were exposed by a Japanese side that are experienced playing together as a team.

     

    Very impressed with the away supporters tonight. They made just as much noise as G.E. and Al Hilal supporters did when they bought out an entire end. Just as loud as the RBB tonight, though they couldn't sustain it for the full 90 like the RBB.

     

     

    The only positive is that we lost our very first ACL home game too.

    And that didn't turn out all that bad. :ninja:

    One of their female active supporters collapsed and had to be attended to in the first half which explains the break of chanting in the first half.... 

     

    Turns out it was a male supporter. I think he fell off the edge 

     

     

    Did you just assume their gender??

    Link to comment
    Smoggy

     

     

     

    We fielded a second string side tonight, and by the second half were exposed by a Japanese side that are experienced playing together as a team.

    Very impressed with the away supporters tonight. They made just as much noise as G.E. and Al Hilal supporters did when they bought out an entire end. Just as loud as the RBB tonight, though they couldn't sustain it for the full 90 like the RBB.

    The only positive is that we lost our very first ACL home game too.

    And that didn't turn out all that bad. :ninja:

     

    One of their female active supporters collapsed and had to be attended to in the first half which explains the break of chanting in the first half....

    Turns out it was a male supporter. I think he fell off the edge

     

    Did you just assume their gender??

    Indeed, personally i feel offended that he assumed it was a female. Sexist pig.

    Link to comment
    thefairy

    Not sure if this has been asked.

    So what is the reason why our fullbacks played last night and the sydney derby but we rested ours CBs?

     

    Dimas talking corners and spot kicks. Why?

     

    Why isn't griffths starting? His been with us for 3 weeks. I thought he was match fit.

     

    Nico playing 10. Lustica on the wings. We had all pre season to stick nico there but why last night?

    Link to comment
    wswtragic

    Not sure if this has been asked.

    So what is the reason why our fullbacks played last night and the sydney derby but we rested ours CBs?

     

    Dimas. Why?

     

    Why isn't griffths starting? His been with us for 3 weeks. I thought he was match fit.

     

    Nico playing 10. Lustica on the wings. We had all pre season to stick nico there but why last night?

    Fixed it for you.

    Link to comment
    Swanderer

    So much already covered but WTF was the thinking last night. As the team ran out I was scratching my head !!

     

    Urawa spent a lot of time in the first half playing wide but the penny dropped in the second, just go through the middle 'cos there was nobody able there!!

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    • Popular Comment
    Erebus
    • Popular Comment

    Of course Jumpei was useless. He is a J2 squaddie at best. Put him up against real J1 players and his inability is there for all to see.

     

    Entire team was too slow and dwelling on the ball.

    Urawa were playing 1 touch football, stretching us all game with their pin point switching passes.

     

    Lustica left Clisby isolated all night and he had to deal with 2 opponents on the wing every single time.

    This is why Sotirio is our best winger. He actually helps his FB.

     

    Their first goal, the goal scorer ran from deep and both our DMs were looking at the ball and not the runner behind them.

     

    FMD our inability to take on a man and shoot in the final third has been pathetic all season.

     

    Short corners every single time when you have this giant Majok (and even Borda) in the centre waiting for the cross.

     

    I wasn't surprised with the lineup. But we looked in preseason more than them.

     

    Cole needs to start too. He's better than Lustica and is actually a winger.

    ok watching the highlights.

     

    **** Hamill and his lazy as f.ark defending and attitude. Watching attackers run right by him without even trying. No excuses from him.

     

    Clisby didn't help with the 2nd goal...no pressure and kicks it straight to them on the D. He had WSW players around him that should have told him he had time to trap the ball and play it to the wing.

     

    Then hamill just watched the player run right by him.

    Link to comment
    Sithslayer1991

    The only Highlight yesterday was the ball girl throwing the ball at the Urawa coach. I think Clisby had a pretty good game, but like everyone said Lustica left him isolated and never offered any support and cost us the first two goals. 

     

    I will put the loss down as a derby hangover but if this trend continues we can forget about getting out of the group let alone winning any of the games.

    Edited by Sithslayer1991
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    beatsurrender

    Impression is that despite the rhetoric we don't give a stuff about the ACL. This was a second string side and it was embarrassing, not just for us, but for football in Australia, They strolled to the win.

    Popa won't say that of course:-

    "We take every game seriously, blah blah, everyone who comes into the team can do the job blah, happy with the squad we've got blah blah"  It's all a load of bollocks and tbh there is no need for any press conferences. We all know what is going to be said. 

    He can't tell the truth anyway because then no-one would show up and we'd rightly be charged with bringing the competition into disrepute.  HAL clubs only have the money for one decent team (and some are struggling with that) which is an unfortunate situation but until we are a more mainstream sport it will always be thus.

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    DanButler

    Do you think Popa has definitely given up on ACL or do you think maybe he is picking the teams he wants to be competitive against?

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    Smoggy

    Do you think Popa has definitely given up on ACL or do you think maybe he is picking the teams he wants to be competitive against?

     

    He has not given up on it, he is somewhat restricted I think by circumstance with the form of some players and what he has available. You need a strong first team with good back up work horses for the ACL, you cannot play the same team in the ACL as the HAL time after time as we know. His ACL options if he is to keep the HAL moving along towards a final berth just aren't good enough this time around in my opinion. We are thin on the quality required and Popa is trying to work with what he has, I think it is too much of a stretch personally to make the final and progress from the ACL group with this squad, but we shall see.

     

    It shows up our recruitment this season also for what it is.

    Edited by WSWBoro
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