Asian Champions League 2010

Reds run ended
by Chris Dunkerley

Round of 16
8:00pm, Wednesday 12 May, 2010
at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide


Adelaide United FC 2 (AET)
(Robbie Cornthwaite 78’, Sergio van Dijk 90'+4)
lost to
Jeonbuk Motors FC 3 (AET)
(Eninho 38’,88’, Lee Dong Gook 117')



(Photo linked from FFA web site)

Adelaide United bowed out credibly from their 3rd AFC Champions League competition when they came from behind twice but went down 2-3 to K-League's Jeonbuk Motors at Hindmarsh tonight.

On a rollercoaster night of emotions, the Reds came back from a goal down twice to almost pull off another memorable ACL victory at home, the match eventually decided by star Jeonbuk striker Dong Gook Lee’s header three minutes before the end of extra time.

Without the suspended Henrique, Jeonbuk’s other Brazilian Eninho did the damage, the playmaker netting the opening goal in the 38th minute before putting Jeonbuk back in front in the 88th minute after Robert Cornthwaite had headed home a 78th minute equaliser.

Reds striker Sergio van Dijk then found the back of the net in the final minute of regulation time to square the game for the second time, but despite the Reds playing on adrenalin and emotion with a parochial home crowd behind them, Jeonbuk had the final say in extra time.

It was a brave and courageous effort from United, with goalkeeper Eugene Galekovic providing some all too familiar late heroics, to nearly see the game get decided by a penalty shootout.

"The players were very tired and exhausted," Jeonbuk's coach Choi Kang-hee said. "At full time they were very disappointed and I had to calm them down. I had to make sure they were prepared to go back out and play extra time and were fully concentrated. "There were a few chances during extra time where I thought we could have scored.

"When Dong-Gook's shot was saved I thought we would be going to penalties. I was thinking this is not our day … the ball just won't go in. Then to have him score a header soon after was a relief. Both teams gave everything. As a game of football it was exciting to watch. The Adelaide team showed a very good game and everyone tried their best, Choi added."

"I was very proud," the Red's head coach Aurelio Vidmar said. “I thought they did a tremendous job under difficult circumstances. They were up against an extremely good side, the K-League champions, and I’m sure everyone who was at the stadium last night, could see what a great side they (Jeonbuk) were.”

While obviously inconsolable, Reds ACL 'coach' Joe Mullen could not have been prouder of his team’s ability to fight its way back into the contest. “It’s hard to take. I thought it was a good game of football, the team did exceptionally well, they showed great character to come back twice…I thought they did their club, their city, the Hyundai A-League proud tonight,” Mullen said.

“We lost the game and it didn’t go our way, but I take my hat off to this group of boys, I thought they did extremely well, added Mullen.” “Not to score more than twice cost us, but like I said before, they (Jeonbuk) are a good team. I thought we did very well, and in the end it came down to a bit of lottery, the game could have gone either way.”

K-League duo Suwon Bluewings and Seongnam Ilhwa plus Qatar's Al Gharafa and Saudi Arabia's Al Shabab also advanced to the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League after Tuesday nights games. Adelaide will have to look to the HAL 6 season and their chances of ACL again in 2012.

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