Victory come from behind three times to share Champions League spoils

If a goal is scored, and no one is there to see it, is it really a goal?

Well, there were six scored at AAMI Park in the Asian Champions League on Tuesday night as Melbourne Victory and Ulsan Hyundai traded blows in front of a crowd officially tallied at more than 5000, although at kickoff is looked to be far less than that.

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In the end honours were even, the teams drawing 3-3 in a game that was dull for 20 minutes, then exploded into furious action.

Credit to Ulsan, who are still in their pre-season, for making such a contest of it, and credit to Victory for having the character and commitment to come from behind three times to square things up.

On the evidence of this performance against a team that its coach, Kim Do-hoon, admitted were only 80 per cent fit, Victory, currently battle hardened and match sharp, might struggle to progress from the group.

But if the remaining two home games, against Shanghai SIPG and Kawasaki Frontale are as entertaining as this then Victory supporters, at least those who regard the ACL as a competition worth bothering about, can look forward to some memorable nights.

While there were initially fears that there might barely be enough people in the stadium to legitimise the contest, never mind the score, those that did turn up were rewarded with a thoroughly entertaining game in which the hosts showed the sort of fighting spirit that beleaguered coach Kevin Muscat had demanded of them going into this match

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The Asian Champions League occupies a lonely place in the Australian soccer calendar. Teams strive to qualify for it, but once they get there, their fans these days seem to pay it scant regard while the governing body, the AFC, seems too disinterested to spend any cash marketing it.

But if the Victory players were put off by the echoing sounds from the empty stands, then they didn't show it.

Given Ulsan's state of readiness it seemed logical enough for them to cede territory at the start and feel their way into the game, which they did for a largely uneventful opening quarter.

But the game sparkled into life in the 25th minute when the South Koreans, who had barely threatened to that point, took the lead with a free kick of quality from one of their foreigners, Croatian striker Mislav Orsic.

Victory had gone close just before, when defender Rhys Williams' shot was deflected wide, and there looked to be little to fear when Orsic lined up the dead ball some 30 metres out.

But the Croatian struck a beautifully driven free kick that eluded Lawrence Thomas' dive to put the visitors, tastefully clad in a replica Argentina international kit, one up.

Muscat's men, in what would prove to be a recurring theme during this game, reacted quickly and efficiently just a minute later.

Besart Berisha's shot was saved by Kim Yong Dae, but the ball squirmed out of his grasp. Leroy George reacted quickest and drove home the rebound as Ulsan players furitlessly appealed for offside.

It didn't take long for the South Koreans to get their noses in front again, aided and abetted by some shoddy Victory defending.

Orsic's corner was met by Ulsan's Austrian defender Richard Windbichler, who ran in unchallenged to power a header past Thomas.

This time it took Victory three minutes to get back on level terms and again George was the scorer.

The Dutch winger picked up the ball on the left, drove at the defence and played a one-two with Berisha before smashing the ball past Kim.

The script for the second half followed the plotline established in the first, although this time there was no slow build-up.

If the mood music for the opening 20 minutes of the first half had been pianissimo, then the second half was fortissimo, and only built to an even greater crescendo as the game progressed.

Orsic showed his class once again in the 51st minute when he picked up the ball wide on the left of the Victory goal and, from the edge of the penalty area curled a beautifully weighted shot which floated up and wide of Thomas' dive into the right hand corner to put Ulsan 3-2 ahead.

But once more Victory showed that it was up for the fight, and again George was a key contributor.

Three minutes after Orsic's stunner, George drove in a wonderfully weighted free kick that found Williams unmarked at the far post, the ex-Socceroos centre half heading in to make it 3-3.

Muscat rolled the dice, taking off Berisha and replacing him with the gangly Kenny Athiu. The tall frontman is all arms and legs, and while his control leaves plenty to be desired he does put himself about to good effect.

On a couple of occasions he caused consternation in the Ulsan penalty area but could not untangle his feet in time to strike the ball; on another he set up George but he could not get his shot away.

Victory will find things a lot harder next time when they travel to Shanghai to face the likes of Brazilian striker Hulk and ex-Chelsea midfielder Oscar. It should be an edifying night.

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SYDNEY MORNING HERALD

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