Asian Champions League 2010

Reds recover to be on a roll
by Chris Dunkerley

Group H - Round 3 - 1st Leg
7:00pm, Wednesday 24 February, 2010
at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide


Adelaide United FC 3
(Travis Dodd 11', Robert Cornthwaite 77', Cassio 82')
defeated
Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC 2
(Kazayuki Morisaki 55', Issei Takayanagi 75')


Adelaide United FC continued its unbeaten run in Group H of the AFC Champions League, defeating 10-man Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-2 in a topsy-turvy game at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday night. Adelaide led, and dominated the first half, but let Sanfrecce back in through the second half, before the Reds came from behind the take the game.

In a match that pitted the HAL wooden-spooners (but ACL top of the table) Reds against current J-League 2nd placer Sanfrecce Hiroshima (a team without a point from its two previous starts in the ACL) anything could have happened. Adelaide scored first but was unable to make the best of the reduced opposition with the send-off of Georgiev Stoyanov in the first half; and were forced to overturn a come-back by Sanfrecce.

The first gaol came when Travis Dodd headed inside the right side netting in the 11th minute from a cross by Marcos Flores, who had made space to receive a throw on the left and turned to deliver his ball. The goal gave the Reds the perfect start and a deserved half time lead. 1-0

The experienced Malaysian referee had no hesitation in showing a straight red card to key defender Stoyanov for the bringing down of Mathew Leckie when the young Reds speedster was in on-goal in the 32nd minute.

Robbie Cornthwaite failed to fully clear a free kick inside the United penalty area in the 55th minute, with the ball falling to one of Sanfrecce's twins Kazuyuki Morisaki - who sent his lethal left foot through the Reds defence and into the net before Galekovic could react. 1-1

The visitors were showing fighting spirit, and from a soft free-kick they went ahead in the 75th minute through substitute Issei Takayangi, who back-headed a pinpoint ball over and into the net with Galekovic grasping. 1-2

Two minutes later Cornthwaite went from villain to hero (as he had previously in the ACL), heading strongly from an in-swinging Scott Jamieson corner from the right. 2-2

The insertion of Fabian Barbiero and Cassio was able to turn the drooping Reds tempo and with eight minutes to go Cassio's free kick from 25 metres took a wicked deflection, wrong footing Sanfrecce keeper Shusaku Nishikawa, and finishing in the back of the net.

"It was a game of two halves, no doubt about that and credit to them for coming back into the game, especially with ten men," Acting head coach Joe Mullen said. "But at 75 minutes 2-1 down we needed to do something, and I think the changes with Barbiero and Cassio was very good for us, and I think the difference is the spirit that is engendered through this team now, they displayed that on the ground and the team believes in itself." "There is a real sense of belief, will, want, tenacity, desire, all of those things and at 75 minutes there was still plenty of time to get something back," Mullen added.

The Reds now depart for Japan on Friday to face their J-League opponents again on Match Day 4, on Tuesday 30 March, 2010 at Hiroshima's 'Big Arch'.

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