Sydney FC’s AFC Champions League 2022 campaign has ended with a 1-0 loss to Vietnamese hosts Hoang Anh Gia Lai.
Sydney FC 0 def. by Hoang Anh Gia Lai 1 (Brandao 38’)
Moments That Mattered:
LE FONDRE CHANCE – 20’ – A left wing ball finds Le Fondre who slips the ball just wide of the far post.
BRANDAO GOAL – 38’ – A cross takes a lucky deflection and Brandao volleys it beyond Heward-Belle from the edge of the box.
BUHAGIAR SHOT SAVED – 46’ – Amini’s run feeds Buhagiar who carries it and shoots but the keeper is down well to save.
HEWARD-BELLE SAVE – 61’ – Heward-Belle does well to get down quickly and save a long range effort and then Grant blocks the rebound shot.
HEWARD-BELLE TIPS OVER – 75’ – Heward-Belle acrobatically tips over a long range shot from distance.
BOBÔ SHOT SAVED – 82’ – Bobô gets close on goal to shoot but the keeper pushes it around the post.
DOS SANTOS HITS POST – 92’ – The Brazilian turns inside and curls a shot off the foot of the post.
What They Said: Steve Corica: “The first half wasn’t our best performance, we were lacking quality in the final third but we had one very good chance to score.
“We made changes at half time and I think it changed the game.
“It was a much better second half performance and we didn’t let them get out of their half and we put them under pressure and we just lacked the goal.
“A disappointing way to finish the tournament.”
Match Report
Sydney FC have gone down 1-0 in their final AFC Champions League match against Vietnamese hosts Hoang Anh Gia Lia.
The Sky Blues had an early chance to take the lead through Le Fondre who saw his flicked shot go just wide of the post.
Brandao then opened the scoring for the Vietnamese just before the break when a deflected cross landed in his path.
It was to be the only goal of the game after keepers at both ends made good saves to keep the opposition strikers at bay, and the Sky Blues head home to face Melbourne Victory in the Big Blue at Jubilee Stadium on Saturday.
Sydney FC: 20. Tom HEWARD-BELLE (GK), 2. James DONACHIE, 3. Ben WARLAND, 5. Connor O’TOOLE (21. Harry VAN DER SAAG 46’), 8. Paulo RETRE (6. Mustafa AMINI 46’), 11. Kosta BARBAROUSES (31. Adrian SEGECIC 70’), 12. Trent BUHAGIAR, 14. Adam LE FONDRE (9. BOBÔ 70’), 17. Anthony CACERES, 22. Max BURGESS (32. Patrick YAZBEK 46’), 23. Rhyan GRANT.
Unused Subs: 30. Adam PAVLESIC (GK), 7. Elvis KAMSOBA, 33. Pat WOOD, 35. Liam MCGING
Yellow Cards: Donachie 60’,
Red Cards: None.
Hoang Anh Gia Lai: 26. Huynh TUAN LINH (GK), 3. Kim DONGSU, 7. Nguyen PHONG HONG DUY, 8. Tram MINH VUONG, 9. Nguyen VAN TOAN, 10. Nguyen CONG PHUONG (C), 11. Nguyen TUAN ANH, 15. Nguyen HUU TUAN, 17. Vu VAN THANH, 30. Washington DOS SANTOS, 94. Mauricio TEIXEIRA BRANDAO.
Subs: 1. Duong VAN LOI (GK), 2. Le VAN SON, 6. Luong XUAN TRUONG, 22. Nguyen NHI KHANG, 23. Nguyen THANH NHAN, 28. Nguyen VAN VIET, 34. Le HUU PHUOC, 66. Le DUC LUONG, 82. A HOANG, 95. Jefferson DOS SANTOS.
Yellow Cards: Van Thanh 88’,
Red Cards: None.
Venue: Thong Nhat Stadium.
Referee: AHMAD ALALI (KUWAIT)
