Australia will only have two representatives in this year’s Asian Champions League after a Melbourne Victory were dramatically downed 4-3 in its qualifying playoff by Japanese powers Vissel Kobe.
D’AGOSTINO’S STATEMENT NIGHT: ‘SOCCEROOS CALL-UP ONLY AN EMAIL AWAY’
Though twice able to overturn deficits and force extra-time in Japan, Victory were finally undone on Tuesday evening by a 95th-minute winner from Brazilian striker Lincoln.
That followed an early goal from Spanish icon Andres Iniesta and a late brace from Yuya Osako.
It put a dampener on a star-making performance from Nicholas D’Agostino, who marked reports he is set to be called up for the Socceroos by scoring two goals and playing a major part in Ben Folami’s dramatic 90th-minute leveller.
Kobe now advances to the group stages of the ACL while Victory, unable to join Melbourne City and Sydney FC on that stage, will return home to face City in a Melbourne Derby on Saturday.
His brilliance on show all evening, Iniesta took advantage of some poor defending to open the scoring in the sixth minute only for parity to be restored when D’Agostino bundled a corner over the line in the 12th.
Victory coach Tony Popovic was content for his side to sit back play on the counter. His strategy bore fruit in the 71st minute when they broke and Ben Folami put a cut back on a plate for D’Agostino.
But Victory were made to pay for late wobbles in defence as Osako netted in the 80th and 87th to make it 3-2.
Yet more chaos was afoot in the 90th when the ball fell to Folami after D’Agostino had a header saved and he curled an effort into the top corner.
Popovic, though, ran out of rabbits in his hat in extra time: Iniesta playing through Koya Yuruki to cut it back for Lincoln for the game’s final act.
