A spirited Brisbane Roar have suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Japanese outfit Kashima Antlers on Matchday 3 of the AFC Champions League on Tuesday night.
A well taken volley by 20-year-old striker Yuma Suzuki on the cusp of half time gave the home side the advantage, with two goals in three minutes in the second stanza confirming the Group E result.
Despite the final margin the Roar were far from disgraced with Brett Holman miscuing a chance to open the scoring and defender Avraam Papadopoulos producing a couple of silky shots at goal getting forward.
Having gone behind just before the break Brisbane dominated proceedings for a good 20 minute period at the start of the second half but they couldn’t fashion a clinical finish.
Instead they were overrun in the closing stages by the reigning J-League champions, leaving them with one point in the group ahead of next month’s return leg on home soil.
Catch up with all the ACL action at the match centre here
GOALS
1-0 Kashima Antlers: Yuma Suzuki, 43’
Yukitoshi Ito powered past Corey Brown down the right flank before whipping in a cross to the front post where Suzuki was lurking to volley it home.
2-0 Kashima Antlers: Jamie Young (OG), 76’
Brisbane failed to clear their lines from a corner with goalkeeper Jamie Young unable to control a scuffed effort from defender Naomichi Ueda, fumbling the ball into his own net.
3-0 Kashima Antlers: Yasushi Endo, 79’
The winger was played into space on the right flank where he took a touch before cutting inside onto his favoured left foot and stroking the ball past Young and inside the far post.
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