Sydney FC remain winless in the AFC Champions League after Kashima Antlers secured a 2-0 win at the Sydney Football Stadium on Wednesday night.
Shoma Doi opened the scoring in the first half and Naomichi Ueda added a late second to leave the Sky Blues with a solitary point from their three Group H fixtures.
Adrian Mierzejewski had chances to equalise after half-time but the visitors negotiated those nervy moments to shore up top spot with a second successive away win.
STORY OF THE GAME
- INJURY: After a quiet first 25 minutes, the hosts are forced into a change with the returning Michael Zullo going down with a hamstring problem.
- CAGEY: Milos Ninkovic had already been left out of the squad while Bobo was restricted to the bench, contributing to the Sky Blues’ tentative start.
- GOAL! But it was at the back that they are exploited late in the half as Shoma punishes some slack defending to break the deadlock.
- SAVE: Mierzejewski gives Hitoshi Soghata his first real piece of the work as the goalkeeper parries away a curling free-kick.
- CHANCE! An unmarked Mierzejewski looks destined to equalise from Brosque’s squared pass, but Soghata scrambles across to block the finish.
- SAVE: The Kashima shot-stopper then denies Mierzejewski once more, getting down low to his left.
- GOAL! The pressure is relieved as Ueda heads in from a corner to seal the points for Kashima.
GOALS
Shoma Doi, Kashima Antlers 40′: 0-1
Left unmarked following a corner, midfielder Shoma was afforded time and space to flick Yuma Suzuki’s mishit effort past Andrew Redmayne.
Naomichi Ueda, Kashima Antlers 87′: 0-2
Shuto Yamamoto heads on Ryota Nagaki’s corner and Ueda is left free to nod home at close range.