K-League champions Jeonbuk Hyundai have ended Melbourne Victory’s Asian Champions League efforts, qualifying for the last eight courtesy of a 2-1 win on Tuesday evening, 3-2 on aggregate.
Melbourne had their chances in an end-to-end contest in South Korea, but two Leonardo goals condemned them to a 2-1 defeat, bringing to a close their 2016 Asian adventure.
Departing star Archie Thompson had the chance to give Victory a dream start, but was unable to bundle the ball home from a few yards out, cleared off the line by Choi Chul-soon in the fourth minute. Han Kyo-won could have done likewise for the hosts six minutes later, but he too failed to find the back of the net.
But after half an hour, Victory’s first leg nemesis haunted them again. Leonardo’s free kick from the left-hand side looped over Victory goalkeeper Lawrence Thomas and into the far corner.
ACL – Player Ratings – Jeonbuk Hyundai 2 Melbourne Victory 1
The former AEK Athens attacker came close to sealing the deal in the 61st minute, curling a long-range effort just wide of the post with Thomas rooted to the spot. But that same man ended Victory’s hopes in the 71st minute, thundering home a clinical effort after being teed up by Ricardo Lopes.
Kosta Barbarouses came close to dragging Victory back into the contest only to see his drive rattle the woodwork and rebound beyond the reaches of Berisha. Yet it was the Albanian that gave his team a fighting chance with six minutes to play with a poacher’s finish, but it was not enough as Victory bowed out of Asia.
Opener a dagger blow
Jeonbuk’s opener drew controversy, firstly from the point of the goal itself. A flailing arm by Jason Geria conceded a foul that plenty on the Twittersphere at least perceived as soft. In the penalty box, skipper Carl Valeri went down in a penalty box tussle that a different official may have blown up.
Nevertheless the goal stood and Victory found themselves a critical goal down – 1-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate. Brazilian Leonardo hurt Victory again, looping a free kick over the wall and beyond Thomas into the far corner. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but the young goalkeeper will be wishing he could rewind time and tackle the situation again. The 24-year-old attempted to fist the ball away but made poor contact, seeing the ball find the corner.
The goal came as a big blow to the visitors after an energetic, bright opening and were all at sea for the next 15 minutes, with Jeonbuk establishing a foothold on proceedings. Fortunately for Melbourne, they were able to re-establish some control and ensure the deficit was not worse than 1-0 at the break, with progression still within reach at the time. In the end, a poor few minutes were costly.
Victory left to rue missed chances
Across both legs of the tie, Victory had chances to take control, yet could not do so. The Australians dominated the opening leg at AAMI Park but were only able to find the net once, with a glaring miss from Besart Berisha in particular standing out. On that occasion, it seemed harder to miss than score and would have given Victory a promising 2-1 advantage with a Korean road trip looming.
At home, Victory found themselves ahead after four minutes and should have done likewise away. Thompson was on the spot to convert a Jason Geria cross, but could not force the ball over the line. Once more it seemed more difficult to keep the ball out of the net, a moment that will leave everyone in the dressing room wondering about what might have been.
Those two chances in particular were the openings Victory so desperately craved but wasted. In Asia, away from home, golden opportunities simply cannot be squandered. By the time Berisha brought things backed to 2-1, it was too late.
Leonardo-shaped lightning strikes not once, twice, but three times
Before the tie, Kevin Muscat and Melbourne Victory knew full well of the threat the Brazilian maestro would pose and the quality he possesses. If there were any doubts about the player’s talents, those were arrested across two legs thanks to three goals of the highest quality, including a vital away goal in Melbourne.
Those three strikes proved three nails in Victory’s ACL coffin, bringing to a close an impressive run that saw the club qualify for the last 16 for the first time in five attempts.
It is little wonder Leonardo is the highest paid player in the K-League.
End of an era for Melbourne Victory
So the curtain has finally fallen for three Victory stars, each with their own unique legacy left behind.
Matthieu Delpierre will hang up the boots for good after a hugely successful stint in blue and white while Barbarouses will return home to Wellington Phoenix. As for three-time championship winner Thompson, the future remains unclear.
What is certain though is that this match offered a prelude to a new-look Victory next season, with a number of new faces to come in and more likely to depart.
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