JDT fail to qualify for AFC Champions League again
FOOTBALL
Wednesday, 24 Jan 2018
by tan ming wai
Consolation goals: JDT’s Jorge Pereyra Diaz netted a brace in injury time against Muangthong United in the second qualifying playoff match yesterday.
PETALING JAYA: Not again!
Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) failed to qualify for the AFC Champions League in their fifth attempt when they were outclassed 5-2 by Muangthong United in the second qualifying playoff match at the Supachalasai National Stadium yesterday.
It was also the four-time Super League champions worst defeat, having previously lost 3-0 to both J-League outfit Gamba Osaka last year and Thailand’s Bangkok Glass in 2015.
The Southern Tigers will now settle for the AFC Cup, which they captured in 2015 and reached the semi-finals in the last two years.
Yesterday, JDT were simply no match for Muangthong United – the same opponents they lost to in a penalty shootout two years ago.
JDT had an early chance in the fifth minute through skipper Safiq Rahim but his powerful effort from a tight angle hit the side-netting.
The home side turned the tide pretty quickly when Sarach Yooyen opened the scoring in the eighth minute after tapping in a low pass from Adisak Kraisorn, who had earlier broken the offside trap from the right.
Six-time Thai League winners Muangthong then doubled the lead through Tristan Do in the 20th minute before Brazilian import Heberty made it 3-0 five minutes later via a penalty after skipper Teerasil Dangda was brought down by JDT’s new signing Bruno Gabriel Soares.
Any hopes of a JDT comeback faded when Theerathon Bunmathan and Heberty piled on the pressure with their strikes in the 57th and 62nd minutes.
Argentinian striker Jorge Pereyra Diaz, the 2016 Super League top scorer who rejoined JDT this season, secured a brace in injury time but those goals were nothing but consolation.
With the win, Muangthong will take on two-time J-League champions Kashiwa Reysol in Kashiwa on Jan 17 with the winners going through to the tournament proper.
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/sport/football/2018/01/24/fifth-time-unlucky-jdt-fail-to-qualify-for-afc-champions-league-again/#WsrZEqAZGLQ7ZZKw.99
