Both Melbourne City and Sydney failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League play-offs. A-League clubs Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar were knocked out of the Asian Champions League less than three weeks after their A-League debut in Sydney. According to a statement from the AFC, the Australian Football Federation has confirmed that three A-League teams have withdrawn from the Asian Champions League. This year, Sydney was the first team to qualify for the 2022 AFC Champions League, with the club facing Kaya Iloilo in a qualifier.
On the other hand, Brisbane Roar sits currently in 11th position in the league table and has underperformed this season. In their previous match, the hosts were defeated 2-0 by the Central Coast Mariners and had a message to prove this week. This season has served as a wake-up call for Sydney FC, and the club has a lot of work ahead of them in the months ahead. For example, Adam Le Fondre and Elvis Kamsoba can be devastating on their day and will also be looking to make an impression this week. Brisbane Roar has improved after a shaky start to the season but has continued to stay inconsistent over the last month.
Sydney and Melbourne Victory must win their respective qualifying play-offs to qualify for the group stage. Sanfrecce Hiroshima will now compete against Melbourne Victory, Daegu FC and Guangzhou Evergrande to try to reach the round of 16. Sanfrecce Hiroshima only has the luxury of playing three competitive AFC Champions League matches before playing their first AFC Champions League match against a victory in Melbourne. In addition to facing the 2018 league champions, Daegu is also their season’s debut.
The Melbourne City A-League Men needed Vissel Kobe to win Sunday’s last group game to become one of the top runners-up teams. It’s not yet known when the ACL will be played – Sydney qualified straight away while Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar made the play-offs – Steve Corica and his men will have to wait to mark the next item on their trophy list and channel their frustrations into the A-League, which they have won multiple times.
By winning a scholarship to Sydney in 2021, Jordan Bos has begun to impress in the senior A-League champion squad. Kalus, impressed with his creativity, spontaneity, energy and speed, topped off with two assists in the Jets’ surprise victory over Sydney. Breaking into Melbourne City’s first team in early 2021, Marco Tilio was impressed with his strong technique, skill and 1v1 vision, including a stunning goal. He assisted in the A-League semi-final against MacArthur.
