Melbourne Victory’s 6-0 destruction of Adelaide United in the Grand Final in which Archie Thompson carved out a place for himself as one of Australia’s sporting immortals only serves to hammer home the absurd nature of the Asian Champions League entry conditions.
Because of the Asian Football Confederation’s strictures Melbourne, who became the first club to complete the Premiership-Championship double, are not competing in this year’s edition of the continent’s top club competition (which got underway in early March).
Instead they have to wait until March 2008 to see how they will match up against the best of Asia’s elite clubs.
It is tempting to think that a fit, focused, in-form Victory would be a mite more competitive against the top teams of the region than a bruised and battered Adelaide or an undermanned Sydney under a newly appointed temporary coach (Branko Culina).
But in the long term Victory’s exclusion from this, the first essay into a prestigious regional tournament by Australian clubs, could work to Ernie Merrick’s team’s advantage.
Neither Sydney nor Adelaide (last year’s champions and premiers) have any experience of football in east or west Asia. The travel, logistics, timezones, playing conditions, the strength of the opposition, weather – all these are massive variables which the South Australians and the New South Welshman are tackling blind as the guinea pigs from this country.
Just how trappy playing away in Asia can be was shown by the Socceroos last year, when Graham Arnold brought a team of European-based players to Kuwait for an Asian Cup qualifier. The team arrived barely 48 hours before the match and had little time to prepare in searingly hot temperatures against well drilled opponents who were more than acquainted with the tortuous climactic conditions. The end result was a 2-0 defeat for Arnold’s side – meaning they had to win their final game against Bahrain in Sydney to go through as top team in their group.
And its not just a primer for the playing conditions that Sydney and Adelaide can bequeath to Melbourne. Victory can score the biggest goal of all financially and commercially.
Adelaide and Sydney’s performances will give a big idea of the interest levels this competition will attract in both domestic and overseas markets. Matches against Chinese sides will draw huge television audiences, as will games against Korean opponents, while fixtures with Japanes teams will expose the Australian clubs to viewers in a country with one of the highest earning populations in the world.
For Australian business, especially those which are subsidiaries of large international groups, such exposure will be very attractive. Companies like them – particularly if they are involved in retail or food sectors – crave the sort of ‘’eyeball ratings’’ that such matches will deliver.
Victory should be able to mount some compelling arguments which will allow them to write significant sponsorship deals either for the whole A-League season or for their Champions League campaign.
On the field the year’s delay should also be invaluable to Victory football operations manager Gary Cole and coach Merrick as it will give them 12 months to strengthen their squad.
While the club blitzed the A-League, winning the premiers plate with four rounds to spare and the Grand Final in such scintillating style, Merrick himself said just days before the Grand Final that to stand still in a competition like the A-League is to go backwards.
He knows that to repeat this year’s dream season he will have to strengthen for a domestic campaign, and add a sprinkling of even higher quality players if the club is to make a significant impact in the ACL.
The lure of playing in such a prestigious competition could act as a useful recruiting sergeant for the pair – especially when Australian players see how much interest it can generate.
Because of the Asian Football Confederation’s strictures Melbourne, who became the first club to complete the Premiership-Championship double, are not competing in this year’s edition of the continent’s top club competition (which got underway in early March).
Instead they have to wait until March 2008 to see how they will match up against the best of Asia’s elite clubs.
It is tempting to think that a fit, focused, in-form Victory would be a mite more competitive against the top teams of the region than a bruised and battered Adelaide or an undermanned Sydney under a newly appointed temporary coach (Branko Culina).
But in the long term Victory’s exclusion from this, the first essay into a prestigious regional tournament by Australian clubs, could work to Ernie Merrick’s team’s advantage.
Neither Sydney nor Adelaide (last year’s champions and premiers) have any experience of football in east or west Asia. The travel, logistics, timezones, playing conditions, the strength of the opposition, weather – all these are massive variables which the South Australians and the New South Welshman are tackling blind as the guinea pigs from this country.
Just how trappy playing away in Asia can be was shown by the Socceroos last year, when Graham Arnold brought a team of European-based players to Kuwait for an Asian Cup qualifier. The team arrived barely 48 hours before the match and had little time to prepare in searingly hot temperatures against well drilled opponents who were more than acquainted with the tortuous climactic conditions. The end result was a 2-0 defeat for Arnold’s side – meaning they had to win their final game against Bahrain in Sydney to go through as top team in their group.
And its not just a primer for the playing conditions that Sydney and Adelaide can bequeath to Melbourne. Victory can score the biggest goal of all financially and commercially.
Adelaide and Sydney’s performances will give a big idea of the interest levels this competition will attract in both domestic and overseas markets. Matches against Chinese sides will draw huge television audiences, as will games against Korean opponents, while fixtures with Japanes teams will expose the Australian clubs to viewers in a country with one of the highest earning populations in the world.
For Australian business, especially those which are subsidiaries of large international groups, such exposure will be very attractive. Companies like them – particularly if they are involved in retail or food sectors – crave the sort of ‘’eyeball ratings’’ that such matches will deliver.
Victory should be able to mount some compelling arguments which will allow them to write significant sponsorship deals either for the whole A-League season or for their Champions League campaign.
On the field the year’s delay should also be invaluable to Victory football operations manager Gary Cole and coach Merrick as it will give them 12 months to strengthen their squad.
While the club blitzed the A-League, winning the premiers plate with four rounds to spare and the Grand Final in such scintillating style, Merrick himself said just days before the Grand Final that to stand still in a competition like the A-League is to go backwards.
He knows that to repeat this year’s dream season he will have to strengthen for a domestic campaign, and add a sprinkling of even higher quality players if the club is to make a significant impact in the ACL.
The lure of playing in such a prestigious competition could act as a useful recruiting sergeant for the pair – especially when Australian players see how much interest it can generate.
